The Greatest Warrior of All Time Returns-Chapter 251

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Chapter 251

The place where the merchant guild's goods had been temporarily stored after being recovered was not far from Cascadia.

It was close enough that I could easily get there using the Shadow Dragon, Baril, with Aurora in tow.

However, throughout the trip, it was obvious she was trying hard to act normal despite her pale, sickly face.

"Are you alright?"

"Ah... yes. Just a bit nauseous… I’m sorry. I’ll step out for a moment."

With a face that looked like she might throw up any second, she ran off.

I turned and quietly examined the storage area.

There weren’t many Paradise Artifacts, so the majority of the warehouse was filled with supplies meant to help rebuild the Elven forest.

Just as Aurora had said, there were no visible traces of magic or signs that anything had been tampered with.

It was as if stealing the items had been the only goal—and what happened after that didn’t matter to them.

I ran my hand over some long metal materials nearby.

"Anything?"

Aurora returned looking slightly disheveled and asked weakly.

There’s nothing you’d notice using normal methods.

Which means…

I activated the Machine God's Heart and scanned the surroundings.

My expression twisted subtly.

To the naked eye, nothing seemed wrong.

But when I probed the molecular structure using the Machine God's Heart, I sensed a faint but definite irregularity.

The affected items were mostly food supplies.

That shouldn’t be.

Food that's been harvested and processed properly shouldn’t have these signs.

"Did you find anything on your end?"

"Actually, I thought about who might have been behind the attack. Considering the traces left at the scene, there’s only one thing that really stood out."

So there’s at least one clue?

"This was found at the scene."

She showed me something that looked like a charm or ornament.

Huh.

That looks a lot like the one Hwa Ryeong, Cheon Ryeong’s younger sister, used to carry.

With that thought, I became sure.

"Let’s dispose of everything here."

A matter involving humans from the Western Continent…

Coincidentally, something involving the Western Continent had occurred recently.

The Coral Kingdom.

A country bordering our own, Bata.

We had once been at war, and even recently, there had been a major conflict near the border.

The Western Continent was involved in that clash with Coral.

Cheon Ryeong and Hwa Ryeong, who belonged to one of the Four Great Families, had fled to Bata as refugees because of that incident.

"All of it…?"

"Yes. I’m not sure about the other materials, but the food—should be completely disposed of."

"What exactly happened…?"

"It’s hard to explain exactly, but I’m sure it’s not good for human health."

Aurora’s expression hardened at my words.

"What about the other supplies…?"

"Only the food seems affected. The rest looks fine. They must have pulled out in a rush before doing anything more."

With a bitter sigh, Aurora summoned the merchant staff and ordered all food supplies to be discarded.

"At least that’s a relief. Food supplies are of slightly lower importance."

"That’s good to hear. Next time, I’ll help out a bit when transporting supplies to the Elven forest."

"I’d appreciate that. And… I’m sorry for troubling you."

This incident must’ve left a major scratch on Aurora’s pride as a merchant.

Still, we decided to retain some of the affected goods for investigation.

We needed to find out exactly what this was and what the attackers had tried to do.

* * *

The people most likely to know something about this were, without a doubt, the siblings Cheon Ryeong and Hwa Ryeong.

Recently, Cheon Ryeong had taken an interest in sculpture, while Hwa Ryeong had found joy in using Paradise Artifacts to create things.

Cheon Ryeong, after all, had once crafted something so impressive that even the Emperor of the Empire had praised it.

Their talents were unquestionable, and I needed manpower—so I’d been making full use of them.

I told them about the details Aurora had shared.

Cheon Ryeong and Hwa Ryeong fell silent, deep in thought.

"Brother, this is…"

"Yes. It might be just what I think it is. May I try an experiment?"

Cheon Ryeong requested several materials to test the suspicious goods.

Thankfully, everyone had the items he needed on hand.

Cheon Ryeong tore open a sack of flour from the warehouse and poured a strange liquid of his own creation into it.

The flour, which initially turned blue, quickly shifted to a dark, black color.

"It’s certain. This is a drug used by the Namgung Family, part of the White Tiger Region in the Eastern Continent."

"What kind of drug is it?"

"It induces the outbreak of a specific illness. Visibly, it appears harmless, but upon consumption… after an incubation period, the illness manifests. While the fatality rate is low, it is highly contagious, saps strength, and causes long-term hallucinations."

I tilted my head in confusion at Hwa Ryeong’s explanation.

"So this has already shown up in the Eastern Continent before?"

"There were many victims when it spread there. The Eastern Continent has since developed a cure, but neither the Central nor Western Continents have it yet."

So basically, someone tampered with food supplies headed from Bata to the Elven forest… with this stuff?

In other words, they were trying to neutralize the Elven forest in one blow and pin the blame on us.

The motive wasn’t hard to guess.

Coral had always wanted another war with Bata.

They’d once tried sending in an advance unit, but it got wiped out by Dragon Cavalry, and the whole thing fizzled out.

Still, it had come dangerously close to all-out war between Coral and Bata.

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* * *

Melissa, who had returned from reporting the Planetaria Merchant Guild incident to the royal family, let out a tired sigh.

“Just when the academy has resumed classes again… Ugh. Now war?”

She couldn’t hide her irritation at how tangled and unlucky the timing had been.

“What’s the current situation?”

“What do you think? Inside Bata, no one actually wants the conflict to escalate. They were trying to renegotiate a new treaty—but now this happened.”

“What’s the other side’s stance?”

“Basically: ‘So what?’ At this point, even Bata can’t help but get pissed off.”

Hearing her words, I got the picture.

They had now roped in Eastern Continent powers as well—clearly determined to win no matter what this time.

“Then there’s no helping it.”

“Still, the royal side seems to want to issue a final ultimatum. The emissaries have already been dispatched to Coral. But chances are, it won’t end in polite words.”

“So we have to prepare for war...”

“Leon, I know it’s unfair to ask you to do this…”

“Just give the order. You’re the head of the family.”

At my words, she quietly closed her eyes.

“They’re determined to start a war no matter what. Once it begins, so many will die. That’s why I need you to break their momentum.”

The way to break that momentum was simple.

“By taking their heads?”

“Can you do it?”

It wasn’t a question out of worry or doubt—she knew I could. freeweɓnovel-cøm

She just wanted to know if I would.

“If the war escalates, our family, which manages the Demon Realm, will have to get involved. Even now, while we’re finally starting to fulfill our role as a territory, we’ll lose manpower, supplies…”

“Enough. Just tell me your decision. Yes or no.”

“Do it.”

“That’s all I needed to hear. I’ll move separately. Do your best to protect Cascadia.”

As I spoke, Luna pulled out a pair of gauntlets—Hand of Fury—from subspace and put them on.

Isna was from the Empire and had no reason to participate.

As for Ashuria, even if she volunteered, I wouldn’t let her join.

“My Lord, I, too, along with Hwa Ryeong, will lend a hand.”

“I’ll help however I can…”

“You two should step back for now. We don’t need many people for this mission.”

I understood that they had the justification to participate in the war due to their ties to the Four Heavenly Families, but this matter was separate.

“Help my little sister here instead.”

“…Understood.”

With visible regret, the two of them stepped back.

“You moving out right away?”

“The negotiation team’s already met with them. As soon as the outcome is clear, it’ll be all-out war. Once it starts, we have to see it through to the end.”

They need to be shown exactly who they messed with.

If the war drags on, even the Holy Kingdom and the Elven Forest will send reinforcements.

“I’ll contact you as soon as the decision is made. And, brother…”

Melissa addressed me not by name, but with the affectionate term older brother.

“Don’t get hurt. For Arsha and me. If it seems dangerous, just pull out.”

* * *

Two days passed like that.

Luna and I had already crossed Coral’s border and moved deep into enemy territory, waiting only for Melissa’s signal.

-Most of the delegation returned with just their heads. Honestly, I hoped Coral would show a bit of humility, but if not, there’s no helping it. You know, Leon…

“Yeah?”

-I personally don’t want to forgive Coral.

“Same here.”

-If war has already broken out, I don’t want to give them a chance to act.

After a brief silence, she gave me specific instructions.

-You’re in the Valt Plains now, right?

“Yeah.”

-It’s one of their biggest grain-producing regions. If you destroy it, Coral’s army—and even their people—will face a food crisis.

“That’s not really my concern, to be honest.”

-Sorry. Just burn it all down.

“The military’s rations are probably stored separately. I’ll aim for those first.”

-Okay.

They likely never imagined a small task force could take out an entire grain region.

In war, weapons are important, but food is even more so.

A hungry soldier can’t fight.

I ended the call with Melissa and moved out with Luna.

We saw a massive supply convoy already on the move, carrying rations for the troops.

Seeing that, I hesitated for a moment.

“In situations like this, causing a commotion is more effective than being stealthy.”

Sensing my thoughts, Luna wrapped her arms around me from behind and spoke.

“You agree, right?”

“If you think it’s right, then do it.”

Resolving myself, I began walking toward the supply convoy, extending one hand into the air and slashing it down.

CRACK!!

The air tore open, and from within, a sword emerged.

The Demon Sword Elekstra.

Just by existing, it exuded a massive and terrifying energy.

BOOM!!

In my other hand, I summoned Falling Blossom, a massive claymore.

[Blossom]

The lead guards in the convoy noticed something was wrong and raised their hands to stop the group—but I had no intention of stopping.

RUMBLEEEEE!!

The ground around them trembled, and massive tree roots shot up, wrapping around everything.

“Gaaahhh?!”

“W-What is this?!”

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