Chapter 69: The Blade Emperor (3)
On the road to gather information on the Reincarnators, the group made preparations before venturing into the wilderness.
Disguises were necessary to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. They dyed their hair, applied makeup to emphasize strong facial features, and transformed their appearances completely.
Myself, too, dyed my white hair black and tied it up into a high ponytail.
Kanok underwent the most drastic changes, as his long tenure with Azure Wings made his face recognizable to many Reincarnators.
Alongside hair dye, he wore colored lenses to change his eye color, used transparent tape to pull his jawline tighter and make his eyes appear sharper, and then layered thick makeup over the tape to conceal it.
As I watched him transform with a blank stare, Kanok chuckled and said, “I’ve been with Azure Wings for so long that most Reincarnators know my face.”
Raynard, on the other hand, didn’t bother much with disguises. His missing arm had been gone for just over a year, and he had temporarily stepped back from public missions during that time. The rumor of an Azure Wings one-armed swordsman hadn’t yet spread.
Once the disguises were complete, Kanok addressed the group.
“Alright, let’s split into teams. It’s risky, but we need to avoid suspicion.”
Taking risks for the sake of a mission was routine for Azure Wings knights. No one objected.
The group was divided into three teams, excluding Kanok. Each team consisted of one senior knight paired with one intermediate knight, except for one team made up entirely of three intermediate knights: Saeorin, Theo, and Flora.
Kanok looked over everyone and said, “From this moment on, we’re strangers. The mission lasts two months. It’s fine if our paths overlap during that time, but don’t intervene recklessly if another team is in danger—unless it’s truly life-threatening…”
Kanok’s gaze lingered on my team longer than the others. It was clear he held particular affection for us as his juniors. Although he trusted our abilities, his concern was evident. With a sigh, Kanok turned away.
“Let’s meet at the border two months from now. Alright, move out.”
Kanok disappeared first. The moment he took a step, his figure vanished, leaving behind only faint footprints and a swirling eddy of dust where he had stood.
My eyes followed the faint remnants of his presence. Kanok had layered his mana use to generate explosive speed, yet not a single shockwave of mana escaped.
His control was flawless, with no waste whatsoever. Even knowing how he did it, most people couldn’t replicate it.
‘He’s always incredible.’
That level of skill was what it took to be a deputy commander. Watching Kanok, I felt as though I was staring at an insurmountable wall.
“Alright, we’re off too. Stay safe, everyone.”
“I hope we all return in one piece.”
The other two teams departed, leaving only our trio. The dry wind swept over us, carrying dust as I took the lead. Theo and Flora naturally fell into step behind me.
The Merciless Wilderness had no maps. Everything in this region was dictated by strength.
Villages that sprung up would inevitably become ruins within a few years, often due to the constant battles between Reincarnators that reshaped the terrain.
This was a place where the very concept of maps held no meaning.
In response, a culture of massive encampments had developed. These camps, built around large, easily collapsible tents, served as temporary rest stops for travelers.
However, using them required one key condition: the ability to defend oneself. Saeorin, Theo, and Flora fit this requirement.
As intermediate knights of the empire, their youthful appearances belied the sharp auras they exuded.
When the three of us entered the camp, the air became noticeably heavier.
There was much whispering and even more staring. I walked lightly and said to Flora, “Are they all Reincarnators?”
“Not all of them. There are criminals from other countries mixed in too. Reincarnators aren’t as common as you’d think.”
To keep our conversation private, Flora spread her mana to form a barrier around us, allowing us to speak freely.
“Saeorin,” Theo said softly.
I understood the underlying message and reined in my energy. This mission wasn’t about eliminating Reincarnators. Drawing my sword just to vent my irritation would jeopardize our objective.
Most of the wilderness’ residents were criminals by default, which meant their default attitude was suspicion of strangers. Even after we settled near the center of the camp, no one approached us.
“This spot looks good.”
We stopped in front of a large, empty tent. It appeared unused, with remnants of a burnt-out campfire nearby. Bones from animals and scraps of vegetables were scattered in the dirt.
Just then, someone approached us. Clomp, clomp—his footsteps were steady and deliberate. It was a young man, and his expression was neutral as he addressed us.
“If you want to use the tent, you’ll need to pay a fee.”
I nodded. Before coming here, I’d studied enough about the culture of the wilderness to understand its norms. The camps were run by organized groups called Midas, who profited by providing tents to travelers.
Without bothering to haggle, I tossed a pouch of gleaming gold coins. The man caught it deftly.
“People from the Kingdom of Felima, huh?”
I didn’t respond. To obscure our identities, we had intentionally avoided bringing imperial currency. Gold coins were gold coins; their value remained the same.
Once the Midas agent left, Theo grumbled.
“A gold coin for a tent? It’s not even enchanted or anything…”
“That’s just how things are here. Everything’s expensive,” I replied.
Such was life in the wilderness—nothing came free, and everything cost dearly. The land, ruined by Reincarnators, left its residents struggling to survive. Food, supplies, and daily necessities were scarce and therefore costly. With most of the locals being criminals, importing goods from elsewhere wasn’t an option.
We didn’t move much after that. Like weary travelers, we unpacked and rested in the tent.
That evening, as night fell, it seemed some of the locals deemed us non-threatening. A group approached us—a mix of three men and one woman. Their strides were bold, but the energy they radiated wasn’t particularly strong.
These weren’t skilled individuals capable of hiding their strength. They were just some roughnecks who happened to know how to swing a sword.
The moment I saw them, I concluded they weren’t a threat. If it came to a fight, I could handle them barehanded. Turning my head slightly, I glanced at them.
“You’re all new faces… First time in the wilderness?” one of the men asked.
“It’s our first time, yeah. We just crossed over yesterday.”
At Theo’s words, the man who seemed to be the leader chuckled lightly. Without hesitation, he casually settled himself by the campfire, his movements so natural that he almost looked like he belonged with us.
“I see. One of the Midas workers mentioned you were folks from Felima. Would you mind chatting with us for a bit? There’s something I’d like to know about Felima. Oh, and tonight’s meal is on us—not anything fancy, but what do you say?”
A meal in exchange for conversation. What they offered wasn’t extravagant, but it was decent: hard bread, dried fruits, jerky, and some alcohol.
Considering the harsh conditions of the wilderness, this was a generous spread. Many out here couldn’t even afford a meal like this.
The man’s ulterior motives were clear, though concealed beneath his seemingly casual demeanor.
We weren’t foolish enough not to notice, but we accepted nonetheless. What we needed right now was information.
“Really? That’s a relief! The prices here are crazy, so we were worried,” Theo said cheerfully, brightening the atmosphere.
The man handed out the food and drinks, though no introductions were made—typical of wilderness culture.
People rarely exchanged names since they would likely never see each other again after a brief encounter.
I inspected the food first, relying on my sharper-than-average sense of smell. If there had been any tampering, I would have noticed.
Sniff, sniff.
The food was clean. Seeing my subtle nod, Theo and Flora relaxed and began eating the bread. Next was the alcohol.
As I uncorked the bottle, I noticed the faint glint of anticipation in the man’s eyes. There was no doubt about it—he had tampered with the drink, not the food.
Sniff.
Behind the sharp scent of alcohol, there was an overpowering fruity aroma, likely meant to mask something. It was a cheap trick, but it couldn’t fool my keen senses.
A faint, acrid scent, sharp enough to tingle, lingered subtly beneath the fruity cover. For most people, it would be easy to mistake it for just the alcohol.
“Alright! Let’s toast to this meeting of ours!”
The man raised his voice jovially, his grin spreading across his face in a way that made my stomach churn with disgust. Still holding the bottle, I stood and stepped forward.
My movements were unhurried, but when I brought my foot down, I stomped hard enough to make the ground tremble slightly. In the next instant, my hand shot out, gripping the man’s throat.
It happened so fast that no one could react. Not even the man himself—his eyes blinked, wide and stunned, as if he didn’t yet realize what was happening.
“Let’s toast.”
Mana surged from my core, a freezing chill rushing through my hand and into the man’s body.
The moment he felt the biting cold, his mouth gaped open reflexively. Seizing the opportunity, I brought the bottle down on his mouth.
Crash!
The bottle shattered into pieces, the shards and crimson blood spraying everywhere, mingling with the alcohol.
Only then did his companions react. But it was already too late. Flora and Theo moved swiftly, taking them down with precision and efficiency.
Not one of them escaped; every single one was pinned to the ground.