Chapter 217

The spot where Martin had passed.

The two security knights glanced at each other.

Then one of them spoke up.

“What in the world was that…? Was that really the terror of the demi-humans, Sir William?”

“No…, he was young.”

At his partner’s words, the first security knight flinched.

“Young?”

“No, more than that… he was a kid. Don’t be fooled by his aura, try to remember.”

As he slowly recalled, it seemed that the face under the hood was indeed a bit youthful.

‘He’s right.’

But his aura was the real deal.

It was a pressure befitting the valiant warrior often dispatched to the battlefields of the frontier, so much so that he was called the Emperor’s hound.

“Then what about that gun? It was definitely genuine.”

“…”

At that question, his partner pondered for a moment.

“…Wasn’t there one?”

“What?”

“A young hero who recently gained fame.”

At those words, the name of one person who had achieved feats unbelievable for someone to have accomplished in just the past year flashed through his mind.

The Princess' Black Knight, the Liberator of Fog Island, the Guardian of the World Tree.

Recently, he was the leader who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Crow Empress of Extra, the administrative self-governing body that ruled the capital’s slums.

“Martin von Targon Ulvhadin?”

“No way.”

That would mean he had stolen his father’s belongings and was impersonating the patriarch.

Getting a headache, he ruffled his hair.

“Ah… what should we do.”

“What do you mean, what should we do.”

His partner sighed and picked up a pen and paper.

“We have to file a report.”

He was a heartless partner.

“Should we stop him, since he went inside?”

“…That, no.”

But he did have some flexibility.

“He must be solving some incredible problem that we don’t know about.”

* * *

A four-person cabin.

An old gentleman in a brown fedora was reading a book, a middle-aged woman bundled in a thick coat was sleeping, and a laborer in coal-stained clothes, as if just up from a mine, was staring blankly out the window, passing the time.

Among them, a young man in the uniform of a low-ranking official from Petrak was continuously taking rough, deep breaths.

Unable to bear it any longer, the three of them looked at him.

The middle-aged woman, who appeared to be an ordinary housewife, spoke.

“You son of a bitch. Can’t you be quiet?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, you fucking bastard. Why did you have to down an Angel Medic in the restroom?!”

“I-I just wanted it so badly…”

As if the thread of her patience had snapped, the middle-aged woman smacked the drug-addicted official on the back of the head.

The coal miner began to restrain her.

“Aigoo, sister. Calm down. The Educator is here too…!”

“Ugh! Look at that guy! How can I stay calm?!”

In the midst of their bickering, the old gentleman closed his book.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The middle-aged woman and the coal miner froze.

The drug-addicted official who had taken the drug cowered.

All three of them were watching the old gentleman.

“Hmm.”

The Educator.

The old gentleman who was called that raised his head.

“Someone is coming.”

“What?”

When the middle-aged woman asked again, the Educator replied with a gentle expression.

“Go out and see.”

“Yes, yes! Understood!”

As the woman went outside, the Educator slowly began to pack his belongings.

The coal miner hesitated and then spoke.

“Excuse me, Educator. We still have three hours until we arrive.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?”

At that moment, the Educator’s hand snatched the miner’s head.

“Huk! H-huh!”

“How dare you question my knowledge…”

Soon, black smoke extended from his hand and was sucked into the miner’s eyes, nose, and mouth.

The official who had taken the drug trembled as he watched the scene.

“Hmm!”

The Educator was greatly surprised, shuddering as he withdrew his hand.

He was coming.

A very powerful and valiant star.

Even though he couldn't be seen and the room was enclosed by walls, his presence was palpable enough to make his flesh tremble.

He didn't know who it was.

Who could possess such a strong stellar energy?

‘As expected, it’s the Star Child.’

There was only one person in humanity who possessed such a degree of stellar power.

‘Fortunately, I am extremely brilliant and excellent, so I have made all the preparations.’

But what was disappointing was.

“I wanted to take at least one person as a porter, but it can’t be helped.”

The Educator raised his hand.

It covered the face of the trembling official.

Black smoke was sucked into his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

* * *

The second-floor car didn’t look much different from the first floor on the outside.

It was just a bit more luxurious.

‘Hmm.’

Sebastian continued to run.

Then, a tray approaching from the opposite direction came into view.

On the tray, pushed by a middle-aged woman, were in-flight meals for the passengers.

The woman in the attendant’s uniform looked like a middle-aged veteran, but.

- Know-It-All (Master) analyzes. The right sleeve of the attendant’s uniform is thicker. Something is definitely attached inside.

- Wild Instinct (Master) is suspicious and recommends preparing for a surprise attack.

The attendant’s tray and Sebastian crossed paths.

The attendant looked at me, bowed politely, and smiled with her eyes.

It was excellent service that put people at ease.

And at the moment we crossed paths, the attendant pulled a dagger from her sleeve and swung it.

“Ack!”

“Wait!”

The security knights who had been watching me from behind shouted in surprise, but.

I simply tilted my head to dodge the attack aimed at my neck, then moved only one hand to snatch her wrist, twist it, and make her drop the dagger.

Then I let go of her wrist and grabbed the woman’s neck.

“Keok!”

“Speak.”

There was no need for a long conversation between us.

“Kill…!”

“Fine.”

I squeezed my hand.

The attendant, after a series of gurgles, went limp.

When I threw her back, she tumbled to the floor with a clatter and slid all the way to the front of the security knights.

They took care of the woman.

Being skilled themselves, they knew she wasn't dead, but had just been knocked unconscious by pressing on her carotid artery.

“Keep going, Sebastian.”

Sebastian moved forward.

His head slowly turned, and his eyes, tracking his prey, focused on one cabin.

‘Is that it?’

Sebastian stopped, and I grabbed the doorknob.

‘Two people.’

Wild Instinct was telling me.

The prey was inside.

The sweet and bitter scent of Angel Medic was strong enough for even me to feel.

There were two targets.

They were sitting facing each other in the cabin.

And….

They opened their mouths as they looked at me.

[Come]

Seeing the shape of their mouths.

[on]

It was a clear.

[in]

Provocation.

I threw the door open and entered.

‘…!’

Soot on old, thick clothes, a green uniform with a Petrak royal brooch.

A coal miner and an official were sitting facing each other on chairs, completely dazed.

Around their necks hung signs.

[It’s a trap.]

[Star Child.]

‘Star Child?’

Why was the Star Child suddenly being mentioned here?

At that moment, the miner and the official stretched out their hands, grabbed the collars of their shirts, and threw them open.

Just as I was wondering what kind of bizarre thing this was, I saw it.

The chests of the two men.

The place that should have been covered by bone, muscle, and skin was clearly visible, as if enclosed in transparent glass.

Their hearts, pulsing distinctly in black.

‘What is that.’

At the same time, I felt a destructive urge.

That I had to destroy it.

I knew in an instant that it was a ‘destiny of certain annihilation.’

‘That is.’

Was this the first time I had seen it?

No.

‘I’ve seen it before.’

Stellar Force?

Yes.

‘Apocalypse…!’

From Cosmos?

No.

‘Your words have come true…!’

From Chaos?

Yes.

That was it.

Soon, the hearts stained with the black Stellar Force of Chaos swelled and exploded.

BOOM!

The explosion swept over Martin and Sebastian and blew through the wall of the car.

Belatedly, the emergency alarm blared.

* * *

Gilbert and Lina had decided to visit a healing center far to the east shortly after finishing at the Academy.

Lina was his companion, and the purpose was Gilbert’s.

Watching the vast lake and the winter reeds and pampas grass, Gilbert strolled along the riverbank with Lina as the sun set.

He had only one concern.

‘Martin.’

Everything had become strange with his appearance.

No, should he call it strange?

In fact, Gilbert himself had felt it inwardly.

That he was a genius, and that he was at the center of the incidents and accidents surrounding the continent.

As the Crown Prince of the Cosmos Imperial Family, he had a mission to fulfill, so Gilbert did not stop.

He always walked into the center of things.

Thinking of himself as the sun.

However.

‘Martin.’

When Gilbert first saw Martin, he thought he was dust.

Not the vegetation of the earth, not the coral reefs of the sea, not the stars in the sky, but some insignificant thing.

A harm that would be better off gone from this world.

‘I was deceived by you.’

But that wasn't true.

He was the moon.

On a dark night.

The one and only light source that stood alone to fight against the darkness while everyone else was asleep.

The reason Gilbert didn't know that was simply because he did not dwell in the night.

Because he was too engrossed in being the sun of the day to delve deeper.

Through the preceding several incidents, his suspicions grew, and what he was able to confirm was thanks to his overwhelming defeat at the Agency, which he had unintentionally encountered.

“Let’s go, Lina. I’ve made a decision.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Late at night, Gilbert and Lina were on their way home on a mana train.

Since they were taking it anyway, they boarded a large, well-equipped express mana train.

The train was scheduled to pass through famous tourist countries like Petrak and Hari before reaching the capital of the Imperium Empire.

“…”

“…”

There was no conversation.

Lina did not press Gilbert.

She did not pester him.

She simply waited for him, the Crown Prince, to make a decision and tell her.

Gilbert… loved her for that.

As a companion before a knight.

“…”

“…”

As Gilbert looked at her with affection, Lina’s yellow eyes also turned to him.

“Lina.”

“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“I…”

At that moment, BOOM!

A huge explosion occurred.

The train car shook, and Gilbert and Lina stumbled.

Belatedly, an alarm blared.

“What the…!”

Gilbert and Lina simultaneously kicked the door open and went outside.

Other passengers were also poking their heads out of their doors, and security knights were running around.

“Damn it! It’s an explosion! For sure!”

“But why isn’t the train stopping?!”

“The engine room has been taken over!”

Something had definitely happened.

But it seemed no one knew the details.

“Lina, let’s go.”

“Yes, Gilbert.”

Gilbert went back into the room and then swung his sword.

A flash of light, and a square section of the train wall was cut out and flew away.

Without a word, Gilbert and Lina jumped out of the moving train and onto the roof.

“There it is, Gilbert.”

“I see it.”

In the distance, black smoke was billowing from a middle car.

The color of the smoke was strange, but what did it matter?

Lina prepared to run.

Knowing Gilbert’s personality, it was clear he would charge ahead.

But.

“…Gilbert?”

He was silent and unmoving.

“…Lina, something’s strange.”

Gilbert couldn’t suppress the killing intent welling up inside him.

Seeing that strangely colored smoke made his stomach turn.

He felt an urge to immediately swing his sword like a madman and cut it down.

“You, don’t you feel anything?”

“I don’t feel anything.”

Gilbert closed his eyes and listened to the emotion of unknown origin.

At first, he thought this emotion stemmed from a gloomy and hideous malice towards evil.

‘Something’s different…’

It was different from malice.

It was pure, even sublime.

This was inevitable.

The providence of fate.

‘It’s Stellar Force.’

The source of the emotion was none other than Stellar Force.

Towards that black smoke, the power of the stars was weaving a destiny of ‘certain annihilation.’

Not out of malice or anything, but as if it was born with the destiny that it had to be so.

‘What in the world is that…’

Whatever it was, he would find out by going there.

“Let’s go, Lina.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”