Chapter 270 |
There were now five days left until the Citadel Lord Selection Battle.
Renok walked through a bustling street filled with people.
The noisy street, which had been almost chaotic with chatter, fell briefly silent every time he passed by.
He was well aware of the peculiar gazes that followed in the wake of that momentary hush.
Right after he became the proxy representative for the Oryun Family, he had started making moves on the other families, so now even within the Eightfold Star Citadel, people had begun to recognize him.
In this closed society, information—whether true or rumor—had spread quickly, and there was no way to stop it unless the leadership forcibly suppressed it.
An outsider who had united three families at once and defied the established order.
It had been the perfect topic to become the talk of the town.
"I heard he completely crushed one of the families... Is this really okay?"
"The Citadel Lord Selection Battle is right around the corner. Do they really think he can change the board all by himself?"
The gazes were far from welcoming. Renok understood their feelings well.
When the confrontation between the nobles who had long ruled the Eightfold Star Citadel and an outsider took shape, it was obvious he would not receive a warm reception.
This special district built within the megacity might have seemed exotic and easy to misunderstand, but these people were still part of the Eightfold Star Citadel.
They were one of the three rulers who dominated the shadows of Balkan.
Thud!!
And now, Renok had arrived in front of one of the families that formed the backbone of the immense power that made the Eightfold Star Citadel what it was—the three rulers.
Even in the densely packed buildings of the citadel, this was a spacious outer district occupied by a noble family.
Beyond the grand gate adorned with a crow emblem, a massive wooden palace lacquered in dark brown gleamed.
The Samyeong Family, one of the eight families tasked with guarding the outer districts of the citadel.
They were the shadows of the Eightfold Star Citadel, renowned as one of the top three families in terms of military might among the eight.
Unlike the Paldoon and Oryun Families, which were relatively weaker and thus ostracized by the alliance, the Samyeong Family was the complete opposite.
Their own military strength and position were so formidable that even the Ilwon and Ibon Families had hesitated to recruit them.
Among the eight families, they were one of the three that received exceptional treatment.
The Samyeong Family was one of the heavyweights among those three.
Renok paused in thought before the path leading to the wooden palace.
The wide gate, large enough for ten people to pass through side by side, was firmly shut.
"......"
He had no intention of showing courtesy.
The proposal he had come to make to the Samyeong Family that day was not the kind to be delivered with a bowed head.
But at the same time, he hesitated to resort to the aggressive tactics he had used with the Paldoon Family.
Above all, Renok had no desire to strip away the Samyeong Family's proxy representative qualification.
However, his deliberation did not last long.
Boom!!
As if they had been waiting for him, the grand gates swung open majestically, and someone emerged from within.
"We've been expecting you."
An elderly man with graying hair, dressed in formal attire, bowed politely upon seeing Renok.
"You must be Ban. The family head instructed us not to keep you waiting. Please, follow me."
"......Did you know I was coming?"
"Who can say?"
The old man smiled enigmatically.
"The oldest gate in this citadel is something we'd rather not see damaged."
"......"
Having just caused a stir by becoming a proxy representative, Renok found it hard to retort.
"I'll guide you."
The old man turned with a relaxed glance at Renok's expression.
The thick wooden doors parted, revealing the avenue leading to the palace.
Creak...!!
The broad path stretched under the shadows cast by the massive wooden palace.
In the wide expanse, hundreds of warriors stood in stoic formation, clearing the way for Renok.
Every one of them was a mana user and a skilled fighter, their auras proving it.
Even Renok had not often witnessed a superhuman unit of this scale in person.
It far surpassed the force of the mana users he had faced in the cartel's execution squad before.
These elite troops, who were normally deployed for patrolling and guarding the citadel's outskirts, had gathered here as if by prior agreement.
He could guess the reason, but it did not surprise him.
With the proxies of three families now united, it was only natural for the Samyeong Family to keep a close eye on their movements.
Rather than focusing on immediate duties, they had a reason to observe and adapt to the situation.
For Renok, this was actually good news.
If the Samyeong Family truly had no interest in the citadel's internal affairs, they would not have greeted him like this.
Realizing that eased his mind in turn.
"......"
The warriors' brows furrowed as they watched Renok stroll down the avenue with a composed expression.
He showed no sign of intimidation under the intense mana and auras that emanated from both sides; he seemed utterly at ease, too natural to be feigned.
And as if embodying that atmosphere, a particularly sharp hostility from one side of the avenue began pressing down on Renok.
Whoooosh...!!
At the inner palace gate, a thick-browed man clad entirely in a black robe glared fiercely at Renok.
Even among the high-caliber warriors of the Samyeong Family, his mana density was on another level.
In terms of the keenness of his aura alone, he outclassed anyone Renok had met in the Paldoon Family.
Even among the eight families, such a disparity in power existed.
Judging by his calm demeanor as he stared at Renok with arms crossed, he was likely the warrior captain who led the family's fighters.
The old man, who had been walking leisurely, halted and turned toward the man.
"Hyeon. What disrespect is this toward a guest of the family?"
"......"
"Retract your aura immediately."
At the old man's stern reprimand, the man called Hyeon replied in a gloomy voice.
"To me, the very existence of that guest is a disrespect to the family head."
"......What did you say?"
"The family head has already decided not to intervene in this Citadel Lord Selection Battle."
Renok shifted his gaze to the base of Hyeon's feet, where he stood murmuring quietly.
From the shadow beneath Hyeon's crossed arms, it writhed like boiling water.
"Then, likewise, there's no reason to listen to an outsider."
As he spoke, Hyeon raised his hand, and the shadow stretched long, coalescing into a sharp spear.
Gripping it lightly, he aimed it at Renok's throat and said,
"If you understand, turn around and leave."
"......"
"I don't want you meeting the family head."
Renok stared indifferently at the shadow blade aimed at his throat, then casually shifted his gaze.
As if oblivious to the spear, he began walking forward unperturbed.
At that unexpected action, both the old man and Hyeon furrowed their brows in unison.
Crack!!
The writhing shadow at Hyeon's feet suddenly crushed his instep.
"Urk...!!"
Caught off guard by the pain, strength drained from one of Hyeon's legs, and the spear tip wavered.
Renok passed between them nonchalantly and remarked,
"Manipulating shadows seems a bit taxing for you."
"You...!!"
"You look tired. Wouldn't it be better to head inside and rest?"
"......!!"
It was no coincidence that the word "shadow" had slipped from Renok's lips.
Only then did Hyeon realize he had lost partial control of his shadows to this unfamiliar mage, and he ground his teeth.
"......I'll keep that in mind."
But instead of pressing further, he stepped back obediently, clearing the path.
He was a warrior who wielded Shadow Incantation. To wrest even a portion of the shadows from him required considerable mana manipulation skill.
He knew full well that causing more of a scene here would truly defy the family head's will.
"Sigh... Hyeon. We'll talk later."
The old man let out a quiet sigh and resumed walking.
Unlike the Paldoon Family head who had greeted him in the courtyard, the old man led Renok deep into the wooden palace.
"We've arrived. Then, I shall..."
With that, the old man vanished soundlessly into one of the palace corridors.
Renok watched his retreating figure before turning his head.
In the audience chamber at the heart of the palace,
upon a throne carved from living ebony wood,
a middle-aged man with hair streaked in white and black sat at a tilt, awaiting Renok.
His eyes were sharp to the point of ferocity, matched by an arrogantly handsome face.
Yet the mana density that emanated from him was so intense that even Renok could not ignore it.
Oren, the family head of the Samyeong Family.
A Shadow Sorcerer counted among the key forces that rivaled the cartel's executives, and a reacher who had attained hierarchy.
Among the citadel's elusive leadership, he was relatively well-known to the outside world, his prowess equally famed.
Despite his inscrutable nature and stubborn temperament, his refusal to shirk duties had earned him high regard within the citadel.
It was why, even as he defied the alliance of five families, no one dared touch him lightly.
Renok and Oren's gazes met simultaneously.
The two saint-class superhumans began gauging each other's level.
Could he win in a direct clash?
'It wouldn't be easy...'
Considering the precision of the mana that flowed through his body, the flawless aura, and the razor-sharp killing intent, his opponent was undoubtedly a seasoned warrior forged in countless battles.
Factoring in the caliber of the warriors he commanded, it was clear he had transcended mere Shadow Incantation mastery to become a formidable fighter himself.
For Renok, he was a powerhouse whose odds of victory could only be assessed in full combat.
He was on par with Virgil, the foremost among the cartel's executives.
With such a man anchoring the family, it explained the lack of complaints amid the citadel's turmoil.
Conversely, if Renok could secure the Samyeong Family's cooperation, it would make this endeavor far smoother.
Oren, who had been looking down at Renok with his head tilted, spoke.
"Arrogant fool."
"......"
"Who do you think you're scheming against?"
Oren seemed to have intuited why Renok had stared at him so long, spitting sharp words.
But instead of responding, Renok looked up at him with a faint smile.
"The reception here differs from the Paldoon Family's, so I apologize for any rudeness."
"......Hmph, what audacity from a young pup."
Yet a smile similar to Renok's tugged at Oren's lips as he spoke.
"But now I see why those idiots so readily yielded their proxy status. Those dull-witted fools couldn't possibly have gauged your power."
"......"
"Firm Thunder, was it? I thought it an overly grandiose title, but it seems not all show has no substance."
Beyond merely appraising him as a saint-class mage, Oren peered deeper.
Likely the honed instincts of one tempered in the visceral crucible of slaughter and violence on the front lines.
The intuition of a warrior who trusted his own skill and judgment.
Without exception, such people had either warily regarded Renok or held him in favor.
'If the heads of the other families were like this, it could be troublesome.'
Though the lesser families were not overwhelmingly powerful, the Ilwon and Ibon Families were evaluated as comparable to the Samyeong in strength and standing.
Their leaders rarely emerged publicly, which made it hard to judge their might and wisdom.
But if they had possessed auras on par with Oren's, the proxy battle might not have unfolded as Renok envisioned.
As he pondered, Oren unleashed a barrage of cutting remarks.
"If you have something to say, spit it out quickly and leave. I'm stunned by your actions so far and granted this audience out of curiosity, but if you fail to intrigue me, that's the end."
Yet Oren's eyes still gazed down at Renok with evident interest.
"I'll have to verify for myself how much you know about this affair and what you seek to learn."
His words and actions hardly aligned, like an elder toying with him.
Renok chuckled and glanced around.
"With so many ears listening, is that feasible?"
"That would be your capability, wouldn't it?"
Oren replied leisurely.
"I'll say this: I have no regrets in this matter. As long as the citadel's safety is assured, I couldn't care less who becomes the Citadel Lord."
"A lie."
Renok shot back sharply the moment Oren finished speaking.
"......What?"
"You're deeply invested in this."
A crooked smile played on Renok's lips.
At the incisive retort, Oren faltered, and several warriors flanking the audience chamber drew their weapons as if on cue.
"You bastard!!"
"What insolence toward the family head!!"
"Show some respect, outsider!"
The Samyeong warriors exuded sharp hostility, pressing in from all sides, but Renok continued unfazed.
"You must have sensed something off about the Citadel Lord Selection Battle and chosen to observe from afar, right?"
"......"
"Knowing of some entity lurking behind the alliance of five families, you've avoided taking sides hastily, biding your time instead?"
"Enough nonsense...!!"
"How dare you question the traditions of the Eightfold Star Citadel!!"
The enraged warriors raised their voices in unison, but Oren raised a hand, and the clamor vanished as if by magic.
Whoooosh!!
A veil of shadows rose from the floor, instantly enveloping the audience chamber in a soundproof void.
"Continue. I'm curious how far this drivel goes."
Though his gaze was icy, if he truly dismissed it as nonsense, would he have silenced the room to hear Renok out?
Renok had a rough sense of the Samyeong family head's temperament.
He smiled.
"I want information on the ruins where time flows slowly. And access to the Samyeong Family's vaults."
"......What?"
"If you're willing to pay that as an advance, I'll uncover the one behind the alliance. Your role is simple."
"......I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting."
"Lead the Oryun, Yukryeong, and Paldoon Families into the proxy battle. No need to yield your own proxy status."
Suryeon and Chen, burdened by family duties, were out of the question from the start. Nor did Renok wish to be tied to the citadel.
They were the most suitable candidates, with clear justification to shoulder this responsibility.
With his assessment of Oren's character now firm, this was Renok's optimal choice.
Crackle...!!
Thick currents danced ceaselessly between Renok's fingers as he rubbed his wrist.
"Then I'll make you the Citadel Lord myself."