Chapter 371 – Yuli

“Mon Sherry~”
“Mm.”
“Will you come again next time?”
“Whenever you have time, let me know. I’ll be right back.”
“Really? You promise?”

Blanche stretched out her arms in front of the airport.

“Did you forget anything?”
“Hehehe. Well…”
“…Did you forget something here?”

She lifts her hat so that only I can see, and extends her cherry-colored lips.

‘She’s openly cute now.’

It’s so sweet that it feels overwhelming.

“Are you going to make me wait?”

I was momentarily dumbstruck. I brought my face under her blue bangs.

As her knees bent slightly, an ecstatic sensation came right in.

“Uh… mm.”

Marronnier’s legs tremble.
The endearing attempt to compensate for the height difference by lifting her tiptoes is adorable.

Right after the kiss, her soft tongue emerges.
She lightly licked my upper lip and then stepped back.

Her alluring, slanted eyes were hidden behind her bangs.
On her shadowed face, a short tongue could be seen licking her lips.

“Mon Chéri. Take care.”

As I stroked her hair, she revealed a smile.
That’s how we bid farewell.

Our next destination was Russia.
That’s where Cornus resided.

* * * * * * * * *

From time to time, I found myself pondering.

What level had I reached by now?

“Brother? I didn’t get a proper look, so it’s hard to say…”

I was growing stronger with each passing moment.
More so than anyone else experiencing countless trials and tribulations.
Yet, I couldn’t confidently claim to have surpassed White Peach at that time.

Speed, power, judgment, magical prowess.
I couldn’t outdo her in any aspect.

Had my martial arts skills fallen short of White Peach’s?

No.

I had flawlessly executed the Heavenly Demon’s technique, adapting it to fit both myself and my needs.

Could it be innate talent, then? Achieving such progress in just six months.

“Brother, there are beings in this world that defy comparison.”

“That’s right! Like our magnificent King!”

A girl unexpectedly chimed in, responding to Tae-yang’s musings. She appeared to be around sixteen years old, walking alongside us.

This was Yuli, the informant for the ‘White Ants.’ Silver hair, lifeless eyes, and pale skin. She held a cane in her hand. She had turned her head, but her eyes were not focused on us.

“But, why are you walking with us so naturally?”

She had joined us without a word, walking closely beside Tae-yang.

“Hey, Yuli. I told you not to call me the King anymore.”

“Ah, then should I call you Tae-yang oppa?”

“Calling a superior ‘oppa’ is… Sigh. Call me whatever you want. Just not ‘King.'”

“Alright!”

A vibrant hue seems to have been added to this peculiar gathering.
His manner of speaking resembled that of a middle schooler, so I assumed he was around that age, and it turned out to be true. I tilted my head as I observed Yuli.

There was something odd about those grey eyes.

“Oh, that’s a prosthetic eye.”
“Prosthetic?”
“He’s blind. Rats gnawed at his eyes. They’re filled with insects, so it’s just…”
“…That’s enough information.”

Saying more would only upset my stomach. I have no doubts regarding Tae-yang’s capabilities, having seen them many times before.

“Hehe~!”

Yuli, who was walking ahead, placed her hands on her hips triumphantly, as if she had overheard our conversation.

“See, I was picked up by Tae-yang and joined the White Ants~”
“Ah, I see~”

Yuli used the prosthetic eye as an artifact, and rather than losing her sight, she gained the ability to see magic. It is said that Yuli can now perceive a world comprised solely of magical energy visible to intermediate-level spirits.

The reason she held a staff was due to her inability to see what was in front of her.

“Using the Artifact puts a great strain on the body. Normally, I walk by simply leaving a faint trace. Perhaps… aside from my older brother, he’s probably the best at handling magical power among us?”
“Is the king truly that skilled in wielding magic?”
“Show some respect, Yuli.”
“Fine, I got it.”

I might be better at handling it, but in my case, I’m not as sensitive to external magic as Zodiac or Blanche.
It’s merely a comparison among the exceptionally talented.
It’s like comparing different disciplines.

So, I didn’t bother objecting.

Then, Yuli seemed to grow more curious about it.

“But, honestly, brother, I don’t understand.”

She stopped and pointed her staff towards me.

“What is it?”
“How can we accept someone right away if they suddenly bring along a person and tell us to follow them instead of you?”

Tae-yang’s expression grew stern.

“Yuli.”

Tae-yang uttered her name. Yuli appeared tense, her forehead beading with sweat.

She spoke forcefully, as if trying to prove that she wasn’t mistaken.

“I can understand, but others might not.”

She wasn’t wrong. If they followed me blindly, without considering my qualities, wouldn’t that just make them machines? As long as their loyalty lies with Tae-yang, I’m merely a figurehead.

“Ha.”

Tae-yang sighed.

Being blind means heightened sensitivity to other sensations. Yuli’s body shuddered at the warmth of the sigh and the subtle movement of the wind. Tae-yang reached out, and Yuli, oblivious to everything, stared intently in his direction.

*Snap!*

A flick to the forehead. Aori burst into laughter.

“Ah!” Yuli exclaimed.

“Usually, the most dissatisfied person says something like that, you insolent girl,” Aori teased.

“But Tae-yang hit me… Waaah,” Yuli whined.

Ah, she really is just a child, isn’t she?

Despite the description of them rolling and tumbling in the underworld, they appeared to be the perfect age.

Tae-yang was similar in height to Aori, and they seemed to be a good match.

“Brother.”

With Yuli wiping away tears as she clutched her forehead, Tae-yang spoke to me.

“Earlier, you mentioned you were curious about how strong I am.”

“I did.”

Tae-yang grabbed Yuli’s hair and pulled her towards me.

“Ah!”

“Brother tends to underestimate his own abilities.”

Behind Yuli’s screams, the magical power emanating from Tae-yang sent me a signal. A magical signal aimed at the two trackers who were deliberately ignoring it.

“Hey, you…”

If you openly unleash your magic like this, they’ll notice and escape. Yuli, seemingly aware of this, yelled with her mouth wide open.

“What, what are you doing! You lowered your guard like this! Sending a warning to the trackers? Brother, you’re such an idiot…! Now we can’t catch them!”

“Brother.”

Tae-yang blatantly disregards Yuli’s words and murmurs softly to me.

“Can you do it?”
“What the hell, do you take me for a detection dog?”
“If you can, then among those beneath the realm, you’re the best.”

He’s already speeding away at full throttle.
At this pace, he’ll soon surpass my detection range.

“Is this how you treat a king?”
“He still can’t accept it. Hurry up and tell me. If I solve this, will you acknowledge it or not?”

Yuli’s complexion turns a ghastly pale. Her face flushes with anger, and her body trembles like a vibrating cell phone.

“No, you idiot! The person we’re tracking is a Heretic Inquisitor, so if we don’t hurry, we won’t catch them! Two of us have already been captured!”
“…Huh?”
“Ugh, seriously!”

A level of audacity and cunning that is difficult to comprehend coming from the leader of a faction.
Perhaps if I wrap it up in such words, it might appear more impressive.

Tae-yang’s face took on the appearance of a foolish, hapless pawn.

“Uh, brother, will this, uh, work?”
“…What’s a Heretic Inquisitor?”

Tae-yang stammered and scratched his cheek. Yuli, who had been struggling, managed to free herself from his arms.

“Well, that is… The Church of the World Tree selects the most talented individuals from the Seven Colored Knights and sends them—”
“Forget that, grab her now!”

Yuli looked at me and yelled.
Tae-yang’s impulsive actions always led to undesirable outcomes.
I came to understand this while gnawing on wood over a few days.

-Brother, let the kids go free. If we wait, might they not bring more greasy and lascivious women? You said you’d take revenge.

I thought there might be some merit to his idea, so I let them go. However, dozens of determined hunters stormed in.
Tae-yang was nearly discovered that day, which led to him being kicked out of his lodgings and forced to spend the night in the hallway.

How on earth has he managed to run his termite operation thus far?

Gently caressing my tense face, I gathered sufficient magical power.

‘…Is my energy on the brink of depletion?’

The arduous journey began when I was in peak condition, having settled in Russia. My body has yet to fully recover.

Nevertheless, as long as I don’t solely rely on the black sword, I can manage to move.

“Huuh.”

Causing a scene in the heart of the city isn’t an option. I steadied myself and leaped.

– Woong!

A gash materializes in the air. In an instant, the mana dissipates and vanishes.

Scaling a building that appeared to be around seven stories high, I checked on the two figures who hadn’t escaped yet and put strength into the soles of my feet.

“Your Majesty!”

Aori, who had been silent, leaped just like me.

“Why?”
“To the right!”

Shoes, socks… Where did my pants go?

Aori, donning only a top over her underwear, brazenly exposes her thighs to the world outside.

“I’ll take the one on the left.”

The pristine white legs bent, and with that movement, they surged forward, creating circular ripples in the air. Controlling one’s own magical power also meant reducing the repulsive force it generated.

I conjured a spell in midair, summoning two birds and placing them on my shoulders.

[Chirp!]

Lucy and Eleonor.

[What is it, Master?]
[Master~! I missed you!]

With the birds perched on my shoulders and their magic at my disposal, I could now utilize their abilities without any burden. As I concealed my presence as much as possible and darted between buildings, my field of vision expanded.

-Zzzzt!

The dark magical power coursed through my body, and Lucy immediately dissipated its traces. The spirits had grown, adapting to my movements, and moved in tandem with my skill level. It was no coincidence that they were considered high-level spirits.

I had heard about this from Tae-yang.

– Elder brother, you accomplish so much as if it’s natural. You should be aware of that. Typically, hunters can’t use magic.
– Hmm…
– Spirits? Martial arts? What would you know? You manage everything effortlessly. There might be times when your accomplishments seem to lose their luster. Please keep that in mind. Even the World Tree can barely command spirits, let alone unfold high-level magic with martial arts.

The enchantment of magic makes the impossible become reality.
It conjures flames in the air and heals wounds.
There are no limits to its potential while manipulating senses like taste and smell.

Spirits are beings well-versed in such feats.
If it’s a high-ranking spirit, it can even detect changes that neither humans nor woodfolk can perceive.
It’s quite common for even the most skilled trackers to receive assistance from spirits.

[Over there.]

Still in the upper echelons, the Emperor’s daughter, Eleanor, possesses talent that is bound to reach the pinnacle. She follows the trail.

Complex calculations and determining specific coordinates.

While using one’s body for calculations, it’s natural for concerns to increase and output to decrease.

The spirit is integrated as if implanting a new memory device or computational engine into a computer.

– Swish!

And what if discovered?

“…!”

Following that, one can only subdue it with force.

I gathered my magic, tracing the shadow that flit before my eyes. Though invisible to me, it was undoubtedly there.

* * * * * * *

“Isn’t Oppa really too foolish?”

Yuli chided Taeyang with a voice full of irritation.

“No, but even so… such recklessness…”
“Haha.”
“Aori unnie managed it, but just that so-called king won’t come.”

Aori hastily pulled up her pants where Yuli pointed with her staff.

– Thud!

Aori topples over, her center of gravity off-kilter as if her legs didn’t fit well into her shorts. Yuli’s complexion turns ghastly pale.

“Argh!”
“Can’t you even put on pants properly now?”

Tae-yang looks at Aori incredulously. Beside her, a woman appears even more exasperated.

Gu-seul blinks her eyes sullenly.

“Why are you here again?”
“…Should I start a shooting spree here, then? Tsk… If it weren’t for the executive order.”
“An executive order… from your brother?”
“No, it’s not something you should be cautious about… It’s not to investigate King Mokryeong. They told me to investigate Lee Si-heon.”

Not King Mokryeong, but Lee Si-heon? Question marks simultaneously appear on the faces of Tae-yang, Aori, and Yuli.

“…Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Exactly! Why are they asking what I had for dinner tonight? People might think we’re lovers.”
“……”

Flower must have finally lost her mind. Tae-yang thought.

“Oh, that’s not the problem… So what are you going to do? He’s not coming…”

Tae-yang laughed at Yuli, who was about to press him again.

“Are you laughing now?”
“Hey. Don’t look down on my brother too much.”
“…I’m not ignoring him, it’s just that our opponent is a heretic-“
“Is that the problem?”

He is a man who goes through all kinds of hardships to catch up with those who have already reached great heights.

Tae-yang didn’t get a proper look at Lee Si-heon’s power, but he could roughly gauge it.

“At least in a one-on-one… There wouldn’t be many people who can face my brother, right?”
“What?”

A Hunter’s strength is measured by rank.
Conversely, the strength of those in religious orders and the Flower faction is determined by their positions.

[An S-class Hunter with plenty of experience]
[The Knight Commander of the Pope]
[The Flower’s Assistant Manager]

These three are often considered to be on equal footing.

[A few Hunter and Guild leaders, a small number of S-class Hunters]
[The World Tree’s Representative]
[Many Flower faction executives]

These three are also considered to be in the same league.

This is a subjective standard that Tae-yang has personally observed. It is said that one who advances and masters the principles transcends the limits. Of course, even they can be devoured by the beings just below them if the numbers, situation, and conditions don’t align. In fact, from the moment they reach that level, they are already counted among the top 100 in the world. Only 100 worldwide. It is by no means a small number.

“Keep in mind, this is based on recent observations. My information isn’t completely clear yet. Some deputies and Flower executives may have already surpassed the limits.”

At best, he is a Heretic Inquisitor, comparable to a chief among the Knights. No matter how specialized they are in tracking and escaping, Lee Si-heon cannot be eluded.

Tae-yang’s eyes narrowed. Those eyes were akin to those of a ruthless snake.

“Even so, if your body is intact, a person who could rival the representative of the World Tree wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to a lone Heretic Inquisitor.”

-Kooung!

The sound of the sky splitting echoed.

Two silhouettes soared overhead.

Yuli’s face grew tense as she watched them.

“Is it enough to accept now?”

Tae-yang smiled.