Chapter 181

Ed Subjugation War (4)

?- ‘Stop meddling.’

This was what Elvira’s older sister said as she lifted Elvira’s cheek.

It is the most vividly engraved memory of Elvira, the Anniston family’s bad girl.

By the time he came of age, he had already opened his eyes to reagent combinations and improving magic engineering supplies.

Her childhood as a troublemaker, confined to the laboratory of the Anniston family mansion and causing explosions three or four times a day... is not that distant past for her.

The Anniston family was not wealthy, but as a renowned alchemy family, her sisters were also well-versed in all kinds of alchemy.

However, compared to Elvira, who had already created her own system and was completely fascinated by the world, most of her talents were on the axis of ordinary talent.

This was the reason why I couldn’t sit still whenever I looked at inefficient reagent combination formulas or magic engineering supplies improvement formulas that contained useless ingredients.

In her family, there was no one with more talent and passion than her, so everything was overlooked in her eyes.

Whenever I had time, I would just look at the sisters’ research results and grumble and point out imperfections.

Beyond her research achievements, she went beyond her attitude toward life as an alchemist and her passion for researching values... People around her couldn’t help but feel a sense of inferiority rising as they watched her talk about her philosophy.

God gave her natural talent and passion, but did not give her the appropriate behavior and behavior.

In fact, it was too harsh to expect such adult manners from a young girl.

Eventually, her pent-up inferiority complex exploded when her older sister, Deella Anniston, failed the Sylvania entrance exam.

When she saw Elvira tilting her head as she disassembled the magic engineering supplies she had brought for the entrance exam, one by one, Diella, who had been overwhelmed by Elvira’s talent, could not hold back her emotions and ended up slapping her in the face.

There is nothing wrong with Elvira.

However, it is also true that they failed to consider Diella, who was heartbroken.

– ‘Do you always feel like you are the main character in everything in the world?’

Diella Anniston pushed all the reagent bottles on the test table and broke them, tore up the research scroll, and spoke through gritted teeth.

– ‘Good... you don’t have to try to understand ordinary humans like us.’

– ‘Sister...’

– ‘Okay, unleash your abilities to your heart’s content. As a human born with half-hearted talents... I will live half-heartedly.’

After that, Diella completely quit alchemy and went to the imperial capital Cloeron to learn accounting and management.

The appearance of his face in the Anniston family became extremely rare, and soon it became difficult to see him even once a year.

Now, for her, alchemy is nothing more than a trigger that makes her recall memories of failure.

That’s probably why he didn’t want to return to his home, which was filled with all kinds of alchemy devices.

Even though I was young, I knew Elvira for sure.

You are not at fault.

The reason Diella got angry and screamed at Elvira and gave up on her path... was completely due to her own inferiority complex.

Elvira’s meddling was always in the right direction. Efficiency of magic flow, cost-effectiveness of combination materials, efficiency of reagents, etc... The correct answer was always to do as Elvira said.

So, there is no way to change one’s attitude toward life because of Diella’s sad eyes.

Quite the contrary. It just goes through stronger.

Eventually, Elvira entered Sylvania and became the head of the pension department...

She even earned the disgrace of being a busybody because she grumbled and meddled countless times with people who couldn’t do their part... But Elvira didn’t stop.

Her way was to prove that her path was right, even if it meant being stubborn.

The thought that occurred to me was whether Clevius would also agree with that opinion.

*Ominous magical power rose from the flowing blood.

Clevius hung his upper body and took a quick breath, looking up at Tailley with creepy eyes.

Tailly also has no intention of backing down. If the other person does not try to resolve the issue through dialogue, he or she will just pick up the sword.

“Wait! Stop! You two shouldn’t be like this...!”

Elvira quickly got down on the floor, raised her upper body, and shouted, but the energy of the blood sword technique was already lingering in Clevius’ body.

There is no middle ground in Clevius Nortondale’s blood sampling technique.

Once started, the blood sword technique gradually eats away at Clevius’s spirit.

The madness that engulfs the mind only increases as time passes.

There is no opponent who has not shed blood in front of him. Even Lucy Mayril had no choice but to allow at least a small scratch... It was a swordsmanship that bordered on madness itself.

“Just shut your mouth and stay there.”

Clevious’s power is completely different from his usual appearance.

After overpowering Elvira with a single word, he kicked the floor and rushed towards Tailly.

The sword was beyond the point of being fast. I just can’t see it.

Taily blocked Clevious’s first sword strike with almost sensibility. He blocked the invisible sword with just his fighting senses.

I didn’t stop it after seeing it, nor did I predict it. There had to be a sense that was almost precognitive.

Tailly gritted his teeth in embarrassment even after blocking Clevius’ sword strike.

The two eyes of Clevius, swords clashing right in front of him. That eye light is revealed right in front of your nose.

It is not a human, but a beast.

Although he still had some sense of reason left, he was slowly shedding his human mask and becoming a ghost.

“Clevius...! You don’t know the circumstances...”

“I don’t know the circumstances, but...”

The blades that met each other were trembling. The battle of strength between them was a whistle, but the speed itself was completely superior to Clevius.

Just like that, Clevious twisted his body and delivered a roundhouse kick to Tailley’s abdomen.

Although it was such a big move, it was so fast that Taily couldn’t even catch it.

“Whoa!”

As it was, Tailley was hung on the iron bars that served as the outer wall of Elte Company.

For a moment, my breathing stopped and a huge shock rushed up my back... but there was no time to struggle in pain.

When I looked up, Clevius had already jumped and was right in front of me.

The sword was about to be swung. The series of bends and strikes at the waist cannot be seen.

It was just a strike like lightning. When I came to my senses, I felt like an attack had already occurred.

Tailly avoided a direct hit with her amazing reflexes, but she couldn’t help but notice bleeding from the shoulder where the sword had grazed.

Tailley adjusted her posture, frowning and holding her shoulders tightly.

The iron bars that had been hit by Clevius’s attack instead of Tailley’s... shattered with a loud noise.

“...I know what you were trying to do.”

It felt clear to Clevious.

It was only for a moment, but Tailley tried to cut Elvira down.

Of course, I didn’t feel any killing intent. However, inflicting fatal injuries was also a deadly blow.

If so, there are no more extenuating circumstances at that point.

Clevius stabs himself again in the opposite shoulder with the dagger he pulled out from his waist.

With a popping sound, new bleeding occurs from Clevius’ shoulder. As more blood flows out, more and more magical power begins to reside in his body.

Clevius, who twisted his body strangely and then fell limp again... flinched and trembled once.

──If you face the Nortondale family’s sword master, be sure to win with one blow.

This is what Mike, a senior professor in the combat department, told before combat practice.

“No matter what, it’s a business for the merchant, so shouldn’t you have been informed of all the funds and current status of the construction of this place?”

“That’s right. There were no particular problems with the construction itself... But while I was away at Old Deck on vacation... Dune Grex would have managed the construction site of this villa, right?”

Lortel just pushed his chair and sat down. I stood up.

I adjusted the hem of my robe and walked towards the small door next to the bed. When I opened the old-fashioned wooden door, there were stairs leading to the basement.

“...This place?”

“It’s an underground space that was built to be used as a wine cellar.”

Just like that. While saying this, Lortel quickly went down the stairs.

When I followed him down, Lortel was whining and trying to open the cellar door. Lortel didn’t have the key yet.

“Ask Mr. Bell to bring the wine and store it in the cellar. I was thinking of letting go. Ugh...! But the start of school is getting closer and the construction of the villa is finished, but Dune hasn’t given me the key to the cellar.”

“I think I know roughly now. “Get out of the way.”

I grabbed Lortel’s arm and lightly pushed him to the side. After securing space, I stomped on the door with my shoulder. The

sturdy basement door did not budge. In the end, when I looked at Lortel, Lortel said, Tell brought out his magical power and completely broke down the basement door.

– Kwaaaaang!

The underground space that was said to have been reserved for wine storage is revealed from the dust.

“...”

“...”

Lortel and I were like that in a daze for a while. I had to stand.

What was inside the wine cellar... was a mountain of gold coins.

It wasn’t just a penny or two. Even if you look at it, it was a huge amount of gold coins.

Not only that, but also valuables and expensive magic engineering supplies that were managed within the Elte Company. Crucially... Numerous high-end distilled spirits were piled up here and there.

Dune Grex was said to have a habit of manipulating the trading company’s books and embezzling metallurgy whenever he got the chance.

When working with shrewd merchants, it’s easy to meet a few such gentle people. . As long as you are sure about getting the job done, you can turn a blind eye to stealing a few pennies due to self-interest.

However, if even that was an act,

the image of Dune, wearing a beret and organizing documents at the working-level committee chair, overlaps. His sharp eyes are like those of an eagle looking for prey.

Even a third-rate embezzler who touches public funds due to self-interest and greed is just a character he created.

Even pretending to be a wealthy person while collecting rare foreign liquor. If all of them were manipulatives, then

Lortel Kecheln would remember him as ‘a third-rate conman who is competent but tries to get his own interests out of the back of his hand’ and was trying to be recognized as one of the employees who would be easy to use and throw away.

That’s how... I dealt with the opponent. If they were trying to make you feel like you were in complete control. Everything

was said in the subjunctive mood, but the evidence was right in front of your eyes.

Even the calm Lortel was speechless for a moment and could only remain still with his pupils dilated.

——During those long years, Dune All of the embezzled funds and items... are all located in this basement.

Dune... was all saved up without spending a single penny.

why?

To blame it all on Lortel’s embezzlement.

If you embezzle a large amount of money at once, it will be too obvious and Lortel will immediately stop you.

Leaving behind evidence of metallurgy embezzlement over a long period of time... we wait and wait for the time of recovery to come someday.

The reason Lortel Kecheln ordered the construction of a villa was simply because he wanted to experience simple camp life.

Dune Grex took that opportunity and staged the villa to look like a secret storage place for Lortel’s separately embezzled funds. The ledger work is probably already finished.

There is no better justification for removing him from the position of head of the company.

How much has the knife been sharpened over the years in the dark?

Even though countless opportunities passed by, how long did it take to seize a clearer opportunity?

The opponent is the colossus Lortel Kacheln.

If you don’t do this, you won’t be able to hit after that. Dune was well aware of that fact.

A tower of gold coins piled up beneath Lortel’s villa.

If the imperial army were to attack like this, judging by the circumstances alone, it would not be strange for the new soldiers to be arrested right away... It was such clear evidence.

*The Sylvania branch building of the Elte Company at night.

In that garden, the sword saint Tailly and the sword spirit Clevius are fighting. The noise from the battle echoes all the way to the commercial building, but few people are hearing it properly.

– Kang! Kaang!

Ziggs Eiffelstein is sitting on a wooden chair and polishing his sword at the second floor entrance.

He looks relaxed, but his expression is serious.

There were all kinds of weapons around. From the rapier he brought with him, to the large long sword, small dual-wielding daggers, bow, gauntlet, mace, and spear...

Ziggs is cleaning his weapons one by one, like a wild beast standing alone in the wild with its teeth raised.

– Kaaaaang! grasp!

Yenica Palover is sitting alone in the luxurious VIP waiting room on the third floor, drinking tea.

The atmosphere is unusual.

The spirits around her are nervously watching her. The face doesn’t look right.

I’m just sitting with my back to the front in front of the huge window in the VIP waiting room and looking up at the moon.

A feeling of fear of unknown origin flows from her back, buried in the shadows.

– Kaang! Kaang! Kaang!

Traceiana Bloomriver wearing a robe and holding a cane in the hall at the end of the hallway on the 4th floor.

A battle mage who uses high-level magic and has extensive duel experience against melee warriors.

He is the head of the 4th year magic department, the highest level, and is already skilled in close combat, where a warrior can have an advantage over a wizard.

And traces of Ed Ross Taylor’s escape remain along the chase route that leads from the rooftop to the back door of the store. You have to run along it towards the northern forest for a while... and then you can finally catch Ed Rosstaylor.

To reach Ed Rothtaylor, each and every one of them must break through all the layers of ridiculous levels of force.

Trials are like a huge wall.

Only a wall that you can’t even think of jumping over can be called an ordeal.

Tailley’s life has always been a series of trials. That’s why I endured the pain and gritted my teeth to survive the ordeal that made me wonder if this was even possible.

Taily McLaure falls, screaming in pain.

After being pushed by Clevius’ sword and rolling on the floor... I finally manage to collect myself and look up at the midnight beast again.

The blood-mad swordsman’s eyes shine under the soft moonlight.

Tailly closes her eyes.

I have lived my life believing that there is no hardship that cannot be overcome.

Did you say that trials that cannot kill me only make me stronger? But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s painful.

Still, the reason I was able to stand on my feet was only because of Ayla. That’s why Tayley McLaure never falls.

He barely stands up, leaning on his sword. The body is already half ruined.

There are still many trials remaining. Still, Tailly never gives up.

I widen my eyes and look clearly at the terrifying Sword Demon.

Life returns to his eyes. The magic power of the Sword Seongsik flowing through her body... begins to take control of Tailly’s body again.

Tailley McLore, the Sword Saint of Trials.

With a body full of blood loss, wounds, and energy drained, he stands up again.