The Terminally Ill Young Master is the Mad Dog of the Underworld-Chapter 337

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]

Chapter 337: The War Has Already Begun

Two envoys were waiting for us.

‘Why is he here?’

One was, surprisingly, Ivan. And the other was a middle-aged man dressed in somewhat unfamiliar and archaic robes.

‘Who is he?’

I would soon find out.

“I greet His Grace, Duke Georg Grunewald. I have come to deliver a message from His Majesty the Emperor.”

Shockingly, he was an envoy of the Emperor, sent from the old, ancient empire in the continent's north.

“Welcome.”

I couldn't understand this combination at all.

An envoy from the Black Society and an envoy from the Emperor, gathered in the same place?

“It is an honor to meet the renowned great mage, Geninghen Grunewald.”

The envoy offered his respects to Geninghen in accordance with etiquette, then looked at me.

“You are truly impressive. I greet you, Young Lord Allenvert Grunewald.”

He expressed his courtesy smoothly, yet his eyes observed me carefully.

‘Hmm.’

I had a feeling the purpose of his visit was related to me.

Whether this was wisdom bordering on foresight, stemming from the caliber of a transcendent, or just a simple guess, I would soon know.

“This is truly a bizarre meeting.”

Ivan said with an emotionless face.

“To place me in the same room as an envoy from an emperor who is nothing but a hollow, vain shell.”

The envoy replied with a calm face.

“Watch your words. How arrogant for one who has come as an envoy.”

Ivan smirked.

“Are you not the one who should be careful? I wonder what you are trusting in to dare lecture me.”

“You uncivilized man.”

As if there was no more value in talking, Ivan took a step forward.

“Black Serpent Duke, do you have anything to explain? The Dark King showed mercy and trust, yet you dared to deceive him.”

“What?”

This time, Geninghen stepped forward instead of the Duke.

“Trust and mercy, you say? How absurd. That’s not what an invader should say. You truly are a creature without conscience, aren’t you?”

“Geninghen.”

Ivan frowned.

“Isn't deception your specialty? Why, does it feel unfair now that it's happened to you?”

“Shameless. Is that Grunewald's official stance?”

“No? It's just my stance. Don't read too much into it.”

“……This is a disaster you brought upon yourselves. Do not blame anyone else.”

Ivan looked at my father.

“Black Serpent Duke, the Dark King has sent you a final ultimatum.”

“Speak.”

My father prompted him curtly.

“Hand over the Dragon Heart. Otherwise, He will annihilate every life in Grunewald.”

It was a statement steeped in calm fury.

“That is an impossible demand.”

My father said.

He was right.

‘Because I ate it.’

……But I couldn't bring myself to say the truth. I am a man who knows how to read a room.

“You'll annihilate Grunewald, you say? Go ahead and try.”

“Duke, what on earth are you trusting in to act this way?”

Ivan pointed at me.

“Surely the source of your confidence isn't that greenhorn, is it?”

“……”

I remained silent, just crossing my arms.

‘Think whatever you want, you pathetic fool.’

I was disguising my presence to seem as if I had merely reached a level similar to my father’s.

‘I've tried my best, but it's a level that seems hard to attribute to having consumed the Dragon Heart.’

That was my goal. It was a skill possible only because my caliber could already look down on Ivan.

“I'll give you one piece of advice. If you plan on feeding the Dragon Heart to that brat, you'd best give up.”

At a glance, it sounded like a warning, but to my ears, it sounded like he was subtly hinting at the poison's existence.

“Silence. I’ve listened enough to your impudence.”

“What?”

I cut in at the right moment and rebuked Ivan.

“How dare you be so rude to my father?”

“……Allenvert.”

Ivan retorted.

“You are the one who should not be arrogant. The Dark King has already ascended to the caliber of a Demon God, even without the Dragon Heart.”

“Is that so? Congratulations. Good for him.”

I clapped my hands.

“Then he doesn't really need to gobble up the Dragon Heart, does he? So damn greedy.”

“Are you playing word games right now?”

“No, I’m just saying, when you think about it.”

Ivan glared at me.

“If you don't hand over the Dragon Heart, it's war again. Do you truly want that?”

“Well, if you're set on invading, I can't stop you. It's not like you'd listen if I tried.”

“I don't know where you get this confidence, seeing as you've already been overwhelmed by him.”

Ivan said.

“Let's be clear. Is this a declaration of war?”

“To put it grandly, yes.”

I retorted.

“Let's not show each other any mercy. Either you fall, or we fall. It's one or the other.”

Ivan turned back to my father.

“Black Serpent Duke, is this your official position?”

My father replied simply.

“My will is no different from Allen's.”

……At that, Ivan sent me a telepathic message.

[What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?]

I replied to his message simply.

[You don't need to know. Just make sure you pick the right side. Think carefully about why we are doing this.]

[What again—]

Just as Ivan’s brows furrowed.

“From what I hear, the Black Society's lawlessness is excessive.”

The Emperor’s envoy, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward.

“Do you truly intend to walk the path of the tyrant without a just cause? Is the Dark King’s goal truly to make this entire continent kneel at his feet?”

“……Is that not what you yourselves did in the past?”

Ivan retorted.

“We are the result of those evil deeds. To criticize us without knowing shame.”

On the surface, it sounded like he was speaking for the Black Society, but hidden within was surely resentment for the fate of his clan, forced into slavery by the clash of titans.

“It sounds plausible at first, but the more one thinks on it, the more it is just an excuse.”

“What?”

“If revenge was your goal, you should have struck us down and destroyed us long ago. Why turn your blade against Grunewald, who merely obstructed your ambition?”

“Silence. I have no need for a lecture from a desk-bound scholar.”

Ivan dismissed the envoy’s words and declared.

“Black Serpent Duke, I have received your answer. Do not expect mercy from this day forward.”

My father nodded.

“Leave.”

Ivan turned his back.

‘That disrespectful bastard.’

[Karzan. Whatever your plan is, the Dark King's power will be greater.]

I didn't reply to his words. Even a small hint passed to Ivan could reach the Dark King’s ears.

Instead—

‘I'll let you live.’

I stared at Ivan's back for a moment before turning my head.

“But, Envoy, for what reason have you come to see us?”

“Ah, that is.”

When the envoy hesitated, conscious of Ivan, I covered the entire room with the power of encroachment.

“This conversation will not leak outside. Please, speak freely.”

“If you say so……”

The envoy looked around at us, then lowered his voice and said something shocking.

“I have come under His Majesty's command to deliver ‘the Black Society's weakness’ to you.”

“……!”

Surprised, I asked.

“A weakness, you say? What do you mean?”

“The Ebony Oath that the Dark King recovered. It is the demonic art of a vicious foe whom the founding Emperor faced when he established the empire long ago.”

The envoy explained.

“At that time, the Emperor recorded it and left it in the archives, and what Exilos stole and modified is the demonic art recorded in the Ebony Oath.”

“I never knew there was such a story behind it.”

“This is the main point.”

The envoy lowered his voice even further.

“In truth, a copy of that demonic art's record exists. His Majesty commanded me to deliver this to you, Young Lord.”

“……!”

It was a completely unexpected gift.

* * *

I arranged a private meeting with the Emperor’s envoy.

“First, please express my gratitude to His Majesty the Emperor for his help.”

At my words, the envoy bowed his head politely.

“Not at all. On the contrary, His Majesty greatly laments that this fight has occurred due to the Imperial family's long-standing karma. He also deplored the reality of not being able to provide greater assistance.”

The empire was too old.

The once-strong and prosperous civilization had now withered, and its stagnant society had long since lost its potential, burning out all its energy on internal strife and schemes.

“Grunewald is the hero of the continent. Just as the great Vitenfeld Grunewald did, we can only pray with one heart that you, Young Lord, will achieve another great feat.”

I accepted the copy that the envoy handed me with trembling hands.

“……Hmm.”

There was no explanation of the martial art's principles.

Rather, it was written like a memoir, detailing the strange phenomena the user of the art had displayed, its various techniques, its power, and the methods used to defeat it.

“If they took the original of this, they would have already supplemented the weaknesses and strategies pointed out here long ago.”

“Yes, that is the blind spot.”

The envoy readily affirmed my words.

“However, as the greatest genius and martial artist on the continent, Young Lord, I am certain you will be able to gain something from this information.”

“You are correct. However, it is an extremely abstruse and difficult martial art, so I believe I will need some time.”

I set the copy aside for the time being and said to the envoy.

“So, for now, I will ask something else.”

“Please, ask anything.”

“……I want to hear the old stories you know of Exilos.”

It was a fresh reminder that they were one of the parties to this long, tangled grudge.

“Whether we lose or they lose, this will be the final battle. There is meaning in hearing the secret histories, unrecorded in history, from the perspective of those involved.”

The envoy replied with a slightly surprised look.

“I understand. If that is your wish, I will tell you our story.”

* * *

Duke Georg watched Allenvert's private meeting with the Emperor's envoy from a distance before turning his head.

“Regeron.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

He was also one of the shadow agents who had been escorting Allenvert.

“Contact Venion. Tell him to depart immediately and rendezvous with us at the midway point. Ivan will have already relayed this news to the Dark King, so we must raise our army one step ahead.”

In matters of war, speed is paramount.

Once the decision was made, they had to move quickly.

“The Special Operations Division Grand Commander, the Grand Commander of the Royal Guard, the Knighthood Grand Commander, and Elder Lorentius. They must move out as the vanguard to clear our path.”

“I will deliver the order at once.”

The war had already begun.

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]