Struggling to rise to his feet, Isen cast a triumphant smile toward Ivor before speaking.
"Hahaha. Yes, you've always been a foolish slave to your emotions, Ivor. Your ego was too grand even when you were but a child burdened by its weight. Not that I blame you. I, too, am a man driven by ego, to be honest.
I suppose it runs in the family. My ego dictated my actions as well.
So what if I incited this war between the kingdoms? So what if thousands of lives were lost because of me? Rankers willingly embrace a life of danger from the moment they become Novices. Besides, in war, there is no right or wrong.
Once both kingdoms accepted the state of war, nobody was deemed right." Isen's smile grew cunning as he produced a potion bottle from his storage and consumed its contents. Feeling the effects of the potion, he decided it was time to flee the battlefield.
Isen exuded confidence, convinced that Ivor was at his mercy and would be unable to stop him. Isen intended to create the perfect circumstances to facilitate Ivor's resignation. The barrier surrounding Ivor was impenetrable, a powerful and translucent domain that kept him trapped. Mentally, this was all the reason Ivor needed to believe he was helpless against Isen, which was precisely what Isen intended.
However, just as Isen turned and began channeling mana through his body to activate his movement spell, he suddenly felt a dagger pierce his neck from the right, emerging on the other side. Isen's eyes widened in surprise as he sensed the presence of a third party who had stealthily appeared behind him, catching him off guard. The attack had been executed before Isen could even detect the assailant.
A perfect assassination of a vulnerable victim.
Collapsing to the ground, Isen clutched his neck with both hands. The blow was fatal, and there was no way to stem the flow of blood in his current condition.
"Youggggghhhhh…"
Lying on his back, Isen turned to face his killer, his expression filled with shock as he attempted to utter words, but the dagger lodged in his neck rendered him unable to speak.
"You say there's no right or wrong in war? Old man, you've got it all mixed up in your head," the shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, a beak-like mask obscuring his face. With an emotionless gaze, he continued, "Of course there's right and wrong in war. The winner is right, and the loser is wrong. It's as simple as that."
Removing his mask to reveal his appearance, the figure allowed Isen to witness his enemy before meeting his demise. As Isen locked eyes with the man's emerald green gaze, he knew that escape was futile. He ceased his struggles, accepting the inevitable flow of blood and his impending fate. When the green-eyed man appeared, Isen observed Ivor's expression and immediately recognized his true identity.
"Ta… tage carh oof my grandchi… fou me, Osan Woo… ooo… gs Butcher," Isen managed to speak through his mortally injured throat, his words barely comprehensible, before drawing his final breath. Isen found it utterly funny that the man celebrated as Grimdawn throughout Edinburgh was also its most hated villain. If he had a few more moments to process this irony, he would have lagged his heart out.
Unfortunately for the former baron of Edinburgh, his journey ended at this point.
In this pivotal moment, Isen Osan met his demise at the hands of Eren, marking a resounding victory for Edinburgh's forces. Yet, Eren felt no sense of satisfaction from killing Isen.
Isen himself and Ivor may have believed Isen to be the root cause of the war between the two kingdoms, but Eren understood that Isen was merely one factor in a complex web of circumstances. Isen's death did not alter the underlying dynamics between the kingdoms; it was merely another battle won by Edinburgh's forces, nothing more.
Exhausted from his clash with Lysa's team, Eren found solace in the ownership of Yuffie Loxlay's mask. Ivor had already inflicted significant damage on Isen, making it relatively effortless for an Expert-ranked individual like Eren to bring an end to the Master-ranked Isen.
Turning his attention to Ivor, Eren observed the emotional turmoil consuming him. With a sigh, he spoke to Ivor, his voice a mixture of understanding and authority.
"Ivor, I don't blame you for your hesitation. It's perfectly alright if you're not the cold-hearted Osan Woods' Butcher. It's alright if you need to grieve. However, now is not the time for that. You must become Piper once more.
Edinburgh's forces will soon arrive here. Our diversion at the graduation event has led them to chase after the elusive Osan Woods' Butcher in Layos. But if they catch even a hint of your presence, all will be in vain."
Eren's words carried weight, and Ivor, though wanting to express something to Eren with tear-filled eyes as he gazed at Isen's lifeless body, understood the urgency. Rather than directing anger towards Eren for cold-bloodedly killing Isen, Ivor felt a sense of gratitude that Eren had shouldered the burden of ending Isen's life, absolving Ivor of the weight of killing his own family member.
Yet, Ivor knew that dwelling on these emotions was futile. He donned his mask and began walking away from the battlefield, a swirl of conflicting emotions stirring within his mind. Among them, a deep sense of relief emerged, knowing that Isen's demise had come by another's hand. Arcs of green lightning enveloped Piper's form as he vanished into thin air.
Sebastian's company emerged victorious against Isen's forces, with minimal casualties from Edinburgh's side. Prominent guild members from Lancelot, Firebrand, and White Raven guilds remained unscathed, while most of the casualties occurred among Edinburgh's army.
After reuniting with Renita, Bianka, and the rest of his team, Eren listened intently as they recounted the events that unfolded after his teleportation to confront Lysa's team. With Renita at his side, offering a comforting embrace, he absorbed their perspectives and insights.
By evening, Grandmaster Luan arrived at the battlefield. After assessing the battle's outcome, he declared Edinburgh as the victor, granting them control over the region.
Eren spent just one night with Renita and the team at the army base before parting ways. With only a few days remaining of his week-long break, he had a multitude of matters to attend to. Only once those responsibilities were taken care of could he fully focus on his role as Grandmaster Baelin's apprentice.
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