The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 44



43 – Episode 43: Baekmokgong

On the group competition stage.

As we began to step up, murmurs could be heard from the VIP seats.

“Oh, isn’t that Sharin Sajarice, the daughter of the Blue Tower Lord!”

“Wow, a big shot has appeared.”

“Uh, but wasn’t she an adopted daughter?”

“What does that matter? Didn’t she inherit ‘Mirinae’ along with being the top of the magic academy!”

As expected, the most mentioned name among the VIPs was Sharin.

Sharin, who was born with Mirinae, the eyes that could be said to be the greatest talent as a wizard.

Her talent was so exceptional that it overshadowed the fact that she was the adopted daughter of the Tower Lord.

Of course.

“`

“……Huh.”

Sharin herself was not very pleased with the mention of adoption.

Sharin’s eyes were piercing the back of my head.

It must be because of what I said when I brought Sharin into the team.

The way to get back at her foster father, the Tower Lord.

I didn’t press further at the time, but she must be secretly concerned about it.

“But why isn’t Sharin the team leader?”

“Hanon, a name I’ve never heard before.”

“But those eyes and hair color……”

Before I knew it, the guests’ attention shifted from Sharin to me.

My hair color and eye color were exactly like Iris, who had just appeared.

That means they must have realized the origin of Hanon’s bloodline as well.

The Duke of Robliaju.

The bloodline that continued from there.

However, my surname is not Robliaju but Aireida.

Some people expressed doubts about this point.

“Interesting.”

Just one person.

Except for that woman who was looking at me with bright yellow eyes with interest.

Eyes as white as snow, hair strangely twisted.

The woman, revealing her alluring figure through the long cloak draped over her shoulders, was smiling as if she was watching an amusing spectacle.

There are a total of four dukes in the Hyserion Empire.

The one who holds the eastern duchy.

The White Wood Duke.

The oldest duke who has been with the Hyserion Empire since its inception.

‘I knew she would be interested in me.’

Even though she was far away, I could feel an absurdly dangerous aura emanating from her.

My steel skin trembled instinctively.

As if urging me to avoid the White Wood Duke’s gaze immediately.

Considering what lies ahead, I shouldn’t be this scared.

“`

I turned my back on Baekmokgong’s gaze and stepped onto the arena.

Then, the gazes I felt around me disappeared.

Thanks to the magic cast over the arena.

“Now that I’m inside, the magic seems even more interesting.”

Sharin looked around at the magic and smiled intriguingly.

“Don’t dispel it.”

“What do you take me for?”

A fickle person.

I lifted my head, keeping an eye on Sharin, who could act unpredictably at any moment.

“Seron.”

“Ah, yes, why!”

Seron, who seemed extremely nervous, answered while gripping the axe tightly.

Unlike me, Seron was looking at another place.

There, a middle-aged man who looked just like Seron was smiling brightly.

He was even holding a sign that said “Go, our daughter!”

No wonder Seron was nervous, thinking her father had come to watch.

“We will handle the apostles up to the 5th round ourselves.”

There are a total of 10 apostles in the team match.

Naturally, the rounds of the apostles go up to the 10th round.

As the difficulty of the apostles increases in the later rounds,

It is efficient for Seron, who has the most stamina, and me to deal with the apostles in the early rounds.

I then looked back at Seron and lifted the corners of my mouth.

“If you’re nervous, just say so. I’ll take you out.”

A vein stood out on Seron’s forehead.

“Who’s nervous!”

She swung her axe threateningly.

“Princess Sweet Potato, I’ll take them down faster than you, just watch!”

Wasting energy in advance.

“Card, Grantoni, you two get ready. Sharin, wait until I call you.”

“Do well.”

“Hehehe, this is going to be fun.”

“I should have done better.”

Listening to each of their answers, I rolled up my sleeves and tied them.

Soon, the moment I raised my hand.

Boom!

With the sound of the ground shaking, a giant apostle in the form of an ox appeared.

Round 1.

Water Buffalo Apostle.

Tick!

At the same time, the clock measuring the battle time started moving.

Seron and I, who had kicked off the ground, simultaneously shot towards the Black Ox Apostle.

The Water Buffalo Apostle, as if it had no intention of being instantly killed like Iris earlier, inflated its arms greatly.

Then, it threw a punch at me, who had reached right in front of it.

A fist larger than my head approached.

I tilted my head back and narrowly avoided the approaching fist.

I could feel the weight from the fist that brushed past above my head.

Did Iris really kill something like this with a single swing of her sword?

Once again, I felt awe at Iris’s strength.

While I was dodging, Seron dug into the Water Buffalo Apostle’s chest.

Then, a water cannon shot out from the Water Buffalo Apostle’s mouth.

“Ugh, ack!”

As Seron hurriedly cut the water cannon with his axe, water splashed everywhere.

Because of that, Seron ended up looking like a drenched rat.

Through his wet clothes, Seron’s white skin and the thin clothes inside his shirt were revealed.

“Moo!”

The Water Buffalo struggled and suddenly exhaled a large breath through its nose.

Whack!

In an instant, I leaped and grabbed the Water Buffalo’s head with my hand.

Seeing this guy snort made me feel extremely disgusted for some reason.

The Water Buffalo flinched and looked at me through my fingers.

Who would have thought it was a cow, its eyes sparkled clearly.

‘Magic Engraving, Flame.’

Whoosh!

At that moment, the magic engraving engraved on the steel skin manifested from the fingertips, and a high-temperature flame bloomed.

Crunch!

I crushed the buffalo’s head with high heat and the strength of my grip.

The buffalo, whose head had disappeared, could no longer struggle and died.

I took a light breath and glanced at Seron.

She was spitting as if water had entered her mouth.

“Ugh, it’s salty. What is this?”

“Probably milk. Dry yourself off. I have no interest in seeing your underwear.”

Seron belatedly checked her body and flinched.

She shrank back, covering herself, and shouted.

“It’s not underwear, it’s a shirt! What are you thinking!”

“I’m not thinking anything.”

“…Hey, that makes me even angrier?”

As we were exchanging trivial words, the second apostle began to appear.

The upper body was human, but the lower body was a spider, a spider apostle.

There was no time to argue with Seron.

Seron seemed to realize this too, as she pouted her lips and gripped her axe tightly.

“Let’s keep going.”

Seron and I kicked off the ground once again.

* * *

Outside, where the Hannon team’s match was in full swing.

Those seated in the VIP seats showed a lack of interest as they watched the match.

“When will Sharin step in?”

“Everyone except those two has been holding back since earlier.”

Perhaps because Iris’s previous battle had been too impactful.

Even though Hannon and Seron were clearing the apostles faster than the average third-year students, everyone seemed indifferent.

It was because they had unconsciously compared them to Iris.

Hanon and Seron fought valiantly.

They couldn’t finish off the apostle in one blow like Iris did.

But within a short time, they defeated the second apostle.

From the third apostle onwards, Card and Grantoni began to take action in earnest.

The magic Card wielded was shadow magic.

The shadows that bloomed beneath his feet launched appropriately lethal attacks when Hanon and Seron were in battle.

Grantoni’s necromancy also provided excellent support.

Not only did he create platforms for Hanon and Seron to leap from anywhere,

but he also bound the apostles so they couldn’t move.

Their coordination was excellent.

Especially, every time a new apostle appeared, Hanon’s instructions were always appropriately applied.

It was as if he knew everything about the appearing apostles.

Of course, thanks to the third-year students and Iris’s team, all the apostles had already appeared.

Although it was possible to think of ways to deal with the apostles during that time,

even considering this, Hanon’s method of breaking the apostles was optimized.

“Hmm?”

“That kid.”

Among the distinguished guests, there were those who realized this and sent Hanon strange looks.

Hanon was knowledgeable and experienced about the apostles to the extent that he didn’t seem like a first-year second-semester student.

“Boring.”

“I was expecting the magic of Sharin Sazarith.”

However, there were also those who didn’t notice this.

Although Hanon was clearly defeating the apostles with optimization,

to the uninitiated, his method seemed frustratingly devoid of spectacle.

This opinion mainly came from those who lacked the skill to have visited the demon palace themselves.

There were those who secured their positions with excellent skills,

and there were also those who secured their positions due to their parents and circumstances aligning.

The distinguished guests began to divide into two categories.

And among them,

the one closest to the former category narrowed their eyes like a fox.

“Phew, hehe, what an interesting boy.”

Others call her Baekmokgong.

The oldest duchess in the empire and a living witness of its history.

She was now watching the match with much more interest than during the Iris era.

A golden light flickered and passed through her eyes.

“Your Grace Baekmokgong, do you enjoy the vigor of the young?”

Then, the attendant with an eyepatch standing behind her asked.

Hearing his voice, Baekmokgong tapped her chin with her long fingers.

“The vigor of youth is always enjoyable. Just like how a blazing flame catches your eye.”

“Even considering that, you seem more delighted than usual.”

Indeed.

Baekmokgong was smiling a lot today.

The reason was just one.

It was because of a boy reflected in her eyes.

“The Empress of Steel.”

She muttered to herself, her eyes gleaming quietly.

She has lived as a duchess since the existence of the Hyserion Empire.

Those who harbor mysteries are rare, but not nonexistent.

However, among them, occasionally, some peculiar ones emerge.

Just like now.

“Kuh, hehe.”

She couldn’t help but laugh as she watched Hanon, who ignited flames in her grasp.

What kind of madman would think of engraving a magic seal directly on their body and using it?

Moreover, a magic seal that was considered an exclusive property of the past and had been abandoned.

‘Magic seals and mysteries must have a peculiar compatibility.’

As someone who has lived for a long time and possesses extensive knowledge, she smiled.

‘Whether he knew it or not.’

Regardless, something interesting had appeared after a long time.

She came to see how the famous third princess had grown.

Unexpectedly, a new joy caught her eye.

From noble mtl dot com

Baek Mok-gong wiggled his ankle under his long legs.

‘Well then.’

How much value will you prove?

The 1st Prince and the 3rd Princess.

It was the moment when she, who still hadn’t sided with anyone, discovered new value and smiled bleakly.