Episode 352 – The Master of Aintrier (2)
“Only the final step remains now.”
The contract had been drafted in the nas of Aintrier and the World Tree Alliance.
Blood was the final step to seal and validate this agreent.
Azonne and I each dropped a single drop of blood onto the completed contract.
“We also need the notary’s blood.”
As Azonne looked to Lily, I called her over.
She trotted to my side, and when I gave a nod, she scrunched her face and summoned a drop of blood. With that final act of notarization, the negotiation concluded.
“I’ll now transfer the certificates.”
The golden-masked attendant stepped forward respectfully and handed over the share certificates.
Three certificates in total.
These papers represented 15% ownership of Aintrier. I clicked my tongue as I examined the docunts.
“For a piece of paper, it’s disgustingly fancy...”
Adorned with layers of magical formulas, the certificates were clearly valuable at a glance.
As docunts dealing with the partial ownership of a city, they were embedded with anti-forgery asures much like modern banknotes.
Each certificate set was composed of 20 sheets, each holding 5% ownership.
In other words, possessing a majority of the 20 certificates, or the support of certificate holders representing a majority, would make soone the master of Aintrier.
“Three certificates are now in my hands.”
With 11 certificates, one could gain majority ownership and beco the true master.
Azonne had designed this power structure to maintain his influence while drawing in surrounding forces.
When he used that very structure to offer a new deal, I knew a trendous opportunity had co.
“Because I know where the remaining eight are hidden.”
Taking my eyes off the certificates, I quietly observed Azonne.
He was smiling as he carefully reviewed the contract.
“You think you’ve made a safe deal by thoroughly reviewing the terms, don’t you?”
Azonne Vistas.
The man was the continent’s most brilliant rchant, blessed with both sharp wits and luck. He likely hadn’t experienced true failure before.
That’s why he never doubted his own judgnt.
And that habit applied to this situation as well. Things would usually unfold the way he envisioned.
“If only your opponent weren’t .”
Just now, Azonne had handed a move that could cost him everything, just to protect sothing small.
It was a choice he could only make because he didn’t know my true identity.
It made the risks I took to co here worth it.
“All that’s left is for this place to move as planned...”
While I quietly clenched my fist, Azonne nodded in satisfaction.
“Good. I see no issues with the contract.”
He tucked the docunt into his robe and slowly stood up.
eting my eyes, he spoke.
“It was a good deal.”
“Leaving already?”
“I got what I wanted. Ti to boast to so friends.”
“Friends, you say... Even soone like the Lord has close friends?”
“If sothing precious has been exchanged, I can be friends with anyone.”
“Sothing precious?”
“Gold.”
“Gold, huh? A simple yet difficult path. I imagine one would need a lot of gold to be your friend. I’m curious who these friends of yours are.”
“You’ll see soon enough. But before that...”
Azonne fiddled with his bracelet and smiled slyly.
“Did you know? Share certificates don’t have owners.”
The only way to prove ownership of a share certificate was through physical possession.
If you lost the certificate, your rights could be lost entirely.
I nodded.
“I know that well.”
Azonne looked surprised.
“You do? I didn’t expect that.”
“Why not?”
“Everyone who’s dealt with these certificates has always received them in the safest possible locations. That was true with Demtor and Pri Root too.”
“Any particular reason?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
His face still smiled, but his eyes had changed.
A strange tremble—
Was it excitent? Tension?
“You never know what tricks your counterpart might pull. Aren’t you trusting a bit too much?”
“If you’d told that sooner, I’d have brought more friends along.”
“You have more friends?”
“Of course. I’ve exchanged precious things with many.”
“Precious things, huh...”
When Azonne showed curiosity, I smiled and said,
“Trust.”
“Lord, could I beco one of your friends?”
“Trust, you say? Sadly, I don’t think I can be friends with soone who lies as often as you do.”
“Lies?”
“You’d better guard those certificates closely. Alex, no...”
For a brief mont, our eyes t. Azonne slightly lowered his head and gave an exaggerated bow.
“Arthur.”
It felt like mockery.
Most would be flustered, but I responded with action.
Boom—!!!
I slamd the round table and shot forward. Azonne knows my na?
An unexpected developnt, but not particularly botherso. I figured he might know.
“Lily!”
As I called out, Lily swung her staff. At the sa ti, Azonne pointed a finger at her.
Only three steps separated them.
Azonne prepared for a divine punishnt using [Judgnt].
Pop—!
“…?”
But he couldn’t mark Lily as the target.
As soon as her spell completed, a massive explosion erupted in front of him, and thick black fog filled the air.
Lily disappeared into the smoke, causing Azonne to scowl.
At the sa ti—
Flash!
His bracelet scattered light.
Sensing the murderous intent, the bracelet activated on its own and encased Azonne in a golden barrier.
Bababababang!
Explosions rained down on the shield.
Despite the fierce assault, Azonne’s expression remained calm.
He watched hamring the shield with my fists like a madman.
“Pointless.”
“We’ll see about that.”
That maniac was .
I clutched both fists.
Vuuung!!
Infusing them with the enchant attribute [Steel], they turned dark gray.
I assud the basic stance of Quanru and exhaled sharply.
Boom!
A stomp to anchor myself.
As the pivot for rotation was established, I opened my eyes wide and triggered Burst Strike.
“Guaaahh!”
Steel fists at full power.
Kukukukung—!
A thunderous boom erupted. The golden barrier rippled wildly.
For the first ti, Azonne widened his eyes and stepped back.
He could feel just how strong my punches were through the sheer amount of gold consud to maintain the shield.
“I just can’t stand you.”
He had intended to swiftly eliminate Lily with Judgnt to remove a variable, but the obscured vision had ruined everything.
Azonne’s gaze toward turned vicious.
Every ti he dealt with , things went off course.
“What good is behaving now?”
“Can’t you read the situation?”
“No, I see it perfectly. That bastard of a Lord backstabbed . Are your ‘friends’ still not here?”
Clenching his teeth, Azonne pulled out Midas’ Coin from his pocket.
Then, he tossed it into the air.
The coin floating in the air began to glow golden. Azonne smirked at mid-punch.
“Fool. Do you think your fists can even touch a hair on ?”
“You never know unless you try.”
“Soon you’ll be begging for rcy.”
As he reached out toward the floating coin and clenched his fist—
Chrrrrrr—!
Midas’ Coin began spewing out a cascade of new golden coins.
Like a downpour, the coins rained down, rapidly covering the floor.
That was the signal.
KWAANG—!
In an instant, part of the ceiling collapsed, and black shadows charged toward my companions near the reception sofa.
“…G-get together!”
Karl shouted urgently, but neither Lochter nor Lily could regroup.
KKAANG—!
“Guh!”
A massive figure bearing down on Lochter with a vicious grin.
He had multiple sword sheaths on his back.
“I’ve co for your swords, Lochter.”
Special Agent Richard pressed down on Lochter with three swords, baring his pearly teeth.
Thunder Sword, Thunderer.
Wooden Blade, Indra.
Ghost Blade, Orras.
And the Illusion Blade, Karoru.
Apparently recognizing Lochter’s strength, Richard had already summoned four swords and launched a fierce assault.
Kakakakakang!
Lochter’s twin blades clashed violently with the four swords in midair.
The space between them blurred, while blazing sparks lit the surroundings.
Elsewhere, three swordsn landed lightly and scanned the area.
Then, they charged at from behind.
They were Cleaners.
Instead of weapons, they wielded long chains and dashed forward.
It seed they weren’t aiming to kill but to capture .
Whirr—
All three began spinning their chains simultaneously.
Vuuuung!
Auras overflowed along the rotating chains, glowing faintly.
They unleashed Aura Swords, a technique only possible for 5-star knights, targeting .
“No, stop!”
Seeing the danger I was in, Lily’s expression grew desperate.
She gathered spiritual power to aid —
But she had to redirect her finished spell elsewhere.
She felt a sickening, sticky spiritual energy—
Traces of black magic.
Knights in crimson armor charged at her viciously. Moonlight-forged blades rained down on them.
Crack! Craaack—!
Even as limbs were severed and they crashed to the floor, the knights did not stop.
They rose with grotesque movents and charged at Lily again.
Cursed Knights.
Then, slowly erging behind them—A gaunt, elderly man—Rengua—blushed in excitent as he looked at Lily.
“Lily Base, the Witch of Terror.”
“The Cursed Witch. I’ll catch you myself and rip out all your teeth. Your brain and body are truly desirable.”
“I don’t do wrinkly old n.”
“Heeheehee.”
Rengua waved his staff with a twisted smile, and the Cursed Knights rushed at Lily with glowing eyes.
Gritting her teeth, Lily raised her staff.
“Arthur…?”
She tried to call out to Karl for help, but he too was immobilized by another enemy.
A sensuous woman with black hair—Spider Queen Azolett—landed behind Karl.
She reeled his wrist in with spider silk and smiled with interest.
Despite binding him in web, he escaped instantly.
“So you’re the one from the Everfell mansion.”
“Cute face. Don’t want to play with ?”
“You crazy wench. You think you can own with that body? As if!”
Azolett scoffed and hurled hundreds of spider webs at Karl.
Karl responded by summoning a spectral form to counter them.
“You think you can win?”
***
Azonne now stood arrogantly, arms crossed, as though victory was already his.
Three blurs were rapidly closing in. Everything was going according to plan. The triple assault from the Cleaners.
No matter how strong Arthur was, he couldn’t handle all three.
“Surrender. I’ll spare you. I swear it on the na of the Lord.”
“In return, the World Tree Alliance will fall.”
“If your life is saved, isn’t that a small price?”
“You should know what I truly value.”
“Trust? That worthless ‘trust’?”
Azonne chuckled softly, then burst into laughter as he sent a mocking gaze toward Arthur.
“That was the funniest thing I’ve heard in a while.”
Arthur hurled another punch at the golden barrier.
BOOM! BOOM!
His fists were now bloodied.
Fierce gusts scoured his face, but the barrier remained unscathed.
No matter how powerful the attack, destroying that shield in a short ti was impossible.
Azonne watched on with composure.
“I told you, it’s pointless. I don’t know if you’re stupid or just stubborn.”
“Right. That’s why I’m changing tactics.”
“What?”
Arthur glared quietly at Azonne.
Clink—
The sound of chains grinding echoed just in front of him.
Even reacting now would be cutting it close—
To Azonne, Arthur’s actions seed reckless, even foolish.
And then—
Azonne’s eyes flew open, and he staggered backward.
Chills ran down his spine.
An overwhelming killing intent.
Within his supposedly absolute golden shield, Azonne felt death for the first ti.
“W-what did you just do?!”
“Keep watching.”
As Azonne recoiled, Arthur murmured quietly.
“From now on... I’m going to hunt you.”
At that mont, Arthur’s entire body began glowing golden—
[Divine Hunter] had activated.
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