CH 212

pitch black night (8)

Invitation from Valhalla.

It seems to be a positive thing when you consider the word meaning of invitation (招待), but if there is Valhalla in front of it, the story is different.

There are two cases in which the Valhalla Empire sends an invitation.

A case that reveals the pure meaning of inviting a guest, and an impure intention, such as the situation Roman Dmitry encountered.

Roman Dmitry read the invitation.

[Roman Dmitry. I would like to invite you as the representative warrior of the festival honoring the souls of the warriors. The deadline is 100 days from now, and if you do not arrive in Valhalla by the previous day, it will be accepted as refusal of the invitation.]

every year.

The Valhalla Empire held a festival to honor the souls of the warriors who died on the battlefield.

On that day, the whole Valhalla was enveloped in a festive atmosphere, and it was a tradition unique to Valhalla to select and bleed the representative warriors.

They believed in the superstition that the more intense the battle, the more pleasing the souls of the dead.

it's a fun place

The problem was that he was confirmed as the representative warrior of Valhalla this year.

said Chris.

"The representative warrior of Valhalla this time is Barbosa, who is called the Twelve Swords of the Continent. For killing the Earl of Denver, it is clear that he intends to publicly seek revenge."

Continental Twelve Swords.

A six-star swordsman and 6th place in Valhalla.

A monster ranked 11th on the continent.

Barbosa was the representative of the Valhalla Empire.

It was a moment when the tendencies of Kronos and Valhalla were sharply divided.

Both empires wanted revenge in the case of the purge of Cairo, but the Empire of Kronos publicly declared the assassination even though it knew it was not right.

A tribe that does not choose any means and methods for victory.

If it were the Kronos Empire, then the Valhalla Empire chose an absurd orthodoxy.

If you accept the invitation.

Roman Dmitry will face Barbosa.

As a common-sense result, of course, he would die, but if he wins, Valhalla's attitude was that he would forget all his grudges.

Of course, there were no survivors who responded to Valhalla's invitation during that time.

The representative warriors sent out by Valhalla were famous beings on the continent, and seeing their opponents fall by their formidable swordsmanship, Valhalla was colored with a festive atmosphere.

The intention was blatant.

Valhalla hoped to be responsible for the case of the Earl of Denver.

Words are only an invitation, but the Valhalla Empire, like Kronos, showed a uniquely coercive appearance.

death sentence.

You die the moment you respond.

Even Chris, who trusted Roman Dmitry, was worried about this issue.

"This is an offer that you do not need to accept. Unlike two years ago, there are many people who only look at the master now. Avoid danger. You can't take all the risks forever, just as you took revenge on Ecorchet yourself."

Chris' words.

understood.

However, Roman Dmitry could not accept the situation as Chris did.

Roman Dmitry said.

"An invitation is literally just an invitation. As you said, refusing Valhalla's invitation won't cause any problems. but. The Valhalla Empire values the honor of its warriors. Disobeying the invitation will be considered a victory for Valhalla, and they will use it as an excuse to tarnish my honor. Valhalla are foxes in warrior costumes. If you accept the invitation, you will die, and if you do not, you will receive a profit. They must have come to the conclusion of sending out invitations with perfect planning."

The choice rested with Roman Dmitry.

It's 100% right to say no if you're concerned about safety, but I didn't think that was the best thing.

Kris. I must be a believer to those who follow me. In the future, in order to face enemies that are beyond common sense, you need the conviction that you will win just by being with me. But if you do not respond to Valhalla's invitation. What do you think people will think of this? A single rejection, thought to be a natural choice to avoid risk, would cause a microscopic rift in people's beliefs. That is the beginning of division. Valhalla wishes Dmitry's division.

wars in the past.

Dmitry always won.

At first, Roman Dmitry was a personal ability, but as time went on, the soldiers' abilities also shined.

their driving force.

was in trust.

With the strong conviction that they could defeat any enemy if they followed Roman Dmitry, they did not spare their lives on the battlefield.

even if you die

His sincere sorrow and the assurance that he would treat his family led to an overwhelming victory in a battle that seemed impossible.

Roman Dmitry.

He was the god of Dmitry.

In the future to come, I knew that not to betray that belief was an important factor.

Roman Dmitry said.

"One hundred days later. I will accept Valhalla's invitation. Kris. As with your role, that is my role."

Moment.

Chris was speechless.

he always thought

He said he would never be able to live like Roman Dmitry.

* * *

around that time.

A rumor has spread throughout the assassination industry.

"Ecorchet was responsible for the assassination of Roman Dmitry and was slaughtered."

The rumor started with Dante.

Dante told the people around him what he had seen and heard, and the rumors began to spread like wildfire.

"Ecorche's sword. When he met Cort after a long time, Dante couldn't hide his embarrassment. Why? It was said that the assassins known in the Salamander Continent had been devastated by hard torture, and that all the assassins who attacked Dmitry were slaughtered. Cort died like that. Dmitry had been brutally poisoned and released, and Cort fell to the floor, trembling and vomiting blood before dying. And, as is known, Roman Dmitry not only killed those who attempted assassination, he crossed the border and attacked Écorchet's stronghold.

It was a vivid testimony.

The people who heard Dante's words spoke violently about the events of that time.

The fall of the Écorchée.

couldn't know

When people woke up in the morning, they were startled by the head of Brakan hanging on the street.

It was beyond common sense.

Ecorchet's failure to assassinate was admirable, but crossing the border to get revenge was a completely different matter.

Moreover, Emperor Cronus announced the assassination of Roman Dmitry.

If there was a problem in the territory of Kronos, he would not be able to return alive, but Roman Dmitry pursued revenge until the end.

one example.

It delivered a clear message to people.

People in the assassination industry trembled in fear.

"Roman Dmitry has always been the same. When the Barco family fell. People thought the defeat of the war killed them, but behind the scenes, those who know that Roman Dmitry annihilated the people of Barco know. That is the cruelty of being Roman Dmitry. Just like the Écorché disappeared overnight. If in the future you are going to be commissioned to assassinate Roman Dmitry and his men, keep in mind that in return you may be in danger too."

the price of assassination.

Roman Dmitry showed it clearly.

Rather than spitting out vaguely wordy threats, crossing the border was an example of Roman Dmitry's tenacity.

As a result, those who were interested in the assassination task turned their heads.

If he succeeded in what Emperor Cronus wanted, he would gain wealth and fame, but this task was too risky.

Thanks to.

The number of assassination quests in the northeast area has significantly decreased.

He was worried that he might pay the price for touching people related to Dmitry for nothing.

Roman Dmitry's judgment was correct.

Only one precedent.

More clearly than a hundred words, he imprinted fear in people's hearts.

* * *

The fall of the Écorchée.

Some people admire.

Some people are astonished.

If anyone felt fear.

Kevin, following Roman Dmitry, felt helpless.

' How long will I have no choice but to ignore the dangers of my master?'

this day.

I also wanted to follow.

He wanted to help as much as he risked his life, but Roman Dmitry didn't want anyone to accompany him.

Roman Dmitry at that time did not add any words.

When asked to do what each other could do, Kevin and others didn't dare say it was wrong.

everyone knew

The fact that if they followed Roman Dmitry, they might be a hindrance rather than a help.

suppressed the truth.

I had no choice but to look at Roman Dmitry as he left for the extremities.

'People say we're growing abnormally fast. However, that alone cannot exist as a person suitable for the future master's path. Kronos Empire, Valhalla Empire. To face the predators that rule the continent, we need to be stronger than we are now.'

everyday.

went to the training ground.

He was so passionate about training that he would be completely exhausted when the sun went down, but he knew that simply training alone would not allow him to grow beyond common sense.

A new method was needed.

How to accept Roman Dmitry's teachings, hone Roman Dmitry's martial arts skills, and additionally promote growth.

Then suddenly.

I remembered something Felix had said a while ago.

"This time, we have developed a magic circle that increases the mana concentration in a certain area. It's not perfect yet, but it's sure to be helpful in many ways once all the margin of error is resolved. Not only does it increase the power of magic when using magic, but it can also be used for 'training purposes' as aura swordsmen. Using the aura in unusual concentrations. Theoretically, it could increase the amount of mana the aura swords take into the body, and also amplify the power of the aura."

It was a conversation I had with Chris.

Felix repeated many experiments for Dmitry, and succeeded in developing a magic circle as one of them.

In fact, it was something I had been researching since I was staying in Frankfurt, but I finally succeeded in putting it off because financial conditions did not allow.

still in the incomplete stage.

He said it would take half a year to make sure it's safe and secure, but Kevin couldn't sit and wait.

I found Felix.

To get a little stronger.

was willing to do anything.

Even if he was reduced to being a test subject of the magic circle, Kevin needed a way to show noticeable results right now.

By the way.

There were already guests there.

Henderson, McBurney and colleagues.

Among those who followed Roman Dmitry, those who were judged to be a little lacking took their place first.

With Ecorchet's case, they too came to the same conclusion as Kevin.

Felix said.

" You are really reckless people. As I have said before, it is a technology that has not yet been secured. one at a time. If you could be an example of failure, why would you use it for training?"

"Mr Felix. Don't you know why we came? What is important to us is to be of any help to the Master in the realities to come. This is not enough. No matter how much we grow, the enemy we have to deal with in the future is an empire that has been ruling as a strong force for hundreds of years."

It was Henderson.

understood.

Felix also felt helpless, so he looked at the people and nodded.

Okay. But keep in mind. Safety is our number one priority. If you become crippled before you even try to do anything for your lord, wouldn't you have no face to see your lord? Even so, the Phoenix Horse Tower received a lot of money from the master, so I never want to deliver bad news to the master."

They knew too.

Big changes cannot be expected.

Even so, they chose to move forward, even little by little.

* * *

a fortnight after that.

An iron mine in Dmitry.

While excavating a new iron mine and carrying out the tunnel work, a sudden accident occurred.

Quang!

Curl rumble rumble!

"The passage is collapsing!"

"Avoid yourself!"

The tunnel collapsed.

Although the surrounding area was thoroughly investigated, such as checking whether the ground was hard, the sudden accident could not be done by human ability.

People evacuated quickly.

In the past, tunnel accidents were a disaster that took many lives, but now a safety net has been installed to protect them.

[Air shield.]

Hwaak-

The wind rose.

An intangible barrier was formed, preventing things from falling from the ceiling.

This gave people time to escape.

After a long time passed and the ground stabilized, the general manager Morkan, who was checking the tunnel, witnessed a strange sight.

" What is this?"

deep underground.

a hole was dug

And at the end.

An underground passage, presumed to have been clearly touched by humans, was formed.