SWNOVELXO Chapter 348
Chapter 349. Who’s the Crazier One? (2)
Keter walked comfortably in front of the Primes. He strolled casually, stepping right into their midst.
“You all have to make a choice too. Will you fight to the end, or will you surrender?”
It wasn’t a question. Before anyone could answer, Keter continued.
“Of course, you won’t make the stupid choice of fighting to the end. It’s obvious you can’t beat me, and at best, you’ll just kill a few hundred of Sephira’s soldiers in a desperate struggle… What good would that do?”
Keter, standing between Jeffrey and Dust, the Primes of the swordsmanship family Ruvan, casually slung an arm over their shoulders.
“What grudge do you have against Sephira? Let’s be honest, you don’t have one. You’re just fighting because you have to. Who’s going to blame you if you surrender now? Look over there. Your entire army has already surrendered.”
At Keter’s gesture, the Primes’ gazes turned.
They didn’t even need to see it with their own eyes.
Thud, thud-thud.
The sound of soldiers from the family alliance dropping their weapons and surrendering echoed clearly and quietly across the battlefield.
“Don’t drop your weapons! We haven’t lost yet!”
A general, unable to bear the sight of surrender, raised his weapon and shouted, but an arrow immediately pierced his forehead. It was the work of Nelson, Sephira’s best sniper.
“Gasp!”
“An arrow reaching this far from such a distance!”
The family alliance had thought they only needed to be wary of Keter, but they were reminded once again that this was a miscalculation. Those who had been hesitating about surrendering cautiously laid down their weapons.
The head of Sephira, Hisop, seized the moment and appealed in a booming voice.
“Sephira will never treat those who surrender harshly. The Baydant family was treated the same way, and so was the Kingdom Army. Surrender. Think of the family waiting for you at home. Is risking your life truly the way to protect your family?”
At Hisop’s heartfelt plea, even the knights eventually laid down their weapons.
But Daul still hadn’t dropped his weapon. The generals, commanders, and subordinates were the same. Their gazes all turned to one person—Daul, the supreme commander. If Daul chose to fight to the death, they would follow.
Keter, curious about Daul’s choice, watched along with the Primes.
Finally, Daul shouted.
“Are you Hisop, the supreme commander of Sephira?”
“Yes, I am Hisop, the supreme commander.”
Though the distance was considerable, thanks to amplification magic, the two could converse easily.
“Our family alliance, including retainers and families, numbers over 100,000. Can Sephira take us in?”
“You won’t be allowed to arm yourselves and will be under surveillance, but otherwise, I can promise you freedom.”
“Does the same apply to the commanders?”
“That’s impossible. As long as there’s a central figure, you’ll remain a ticking time bomb.”
“Then what do you plan to do with us? Kill us?”
“Sephira doesn’t lie. If I promised to spare you, I will. However, all commanders must be exiled to another country. And you won’t be able to return until the war with the princes is over.”
Hisop’s conditions were extremely realistic. Sephira couldn’t hold 100,000 prisoners. They’d have to either kill them or set them free, and Sephira wasn’t cruel enough to kill them all.
But if they showed mercy and spared them all, they’d become a bomb waiting to explode. Given the chance, they’d surely rise up.
If they attacked from both inside and outside, Sephira would be in deep trouble, living in constant anxiety.
Daul sighed. Hisop’s proposal was realistic. That’s why it was believable, but he couldn’t just say, “Let’s do it,” without thought. The fate of hundreds of thousands rested on Daul’s words.
But Daul had no other choice. Surrender or die here—those were the only options.
Naturally, Daul chose the former.
“I’ll accept the treatment of the commanders, but what about the Primes? Exile won’t work for them.”
No other country would take in a Prime, and who would dare to keep a Prime under surveillance?
Hisop couldn’t answer that immediately either. The disposition of the Primes was entirely up to Keter.
Daul understood what Hisop’s silence meant. The treatment of the Primes was up to Keter, not Hisop.
All eyes turned to Keter. Keter, as if he’d been waiting, spoke to the Primes.
“Your commanders have chosen to surrender, and now it’s your turn to choose. Will you admit defeat and surrender? Or will you fight to the end to protect your petty pride?”
Unlike before, Keter didn’t give them time to think. He immediately pointed at Dust to speak first.
Clank.
Dust sheathed his sword with a loud clank. It wasn’t as if he lost his combat power, but it was enough of a gesture to signify surrender.
But Keter raised a fist, annoyed.
“If you don’t speak, I’ll beat you to death.”
A swordsman being threatened with a punch by an archer. It was a blow to his pride, but Dust’s voice trembled involuntarily, feeling like he might lose.
“S-surrender.”
“Good. Next, you.”
Magon, the knight commander of the Garcia family, sighed briefly.
“How could our Garcia family… We surrender.”
“Next, senior.”
Keter showed respect to Jerpy, the former Southern Sword. Jerpy nodded with a lighter expression.
“It was a good match, Keter. I surrender.”
“Kid. You haven’t used your Authority yet, so you still have a chance. Want to fight?”
Rajis was the only one among the Primes who hadn’t shown his Authority. Keter found Rajis’s caution both admirable and irritating.
“If we surrender, what will happen to us?”
The other Primes also seemed curious, showing interest. Keter pointed at Sephira with his thumb and said.
“Let’s discuss that over a meal. Aren’t we fighting to survive, after all?”
And so, Keter and the four Primes headed to Sephira’s banquet hall.
Sephira’s banquet hall. Under a beautiful and lavish chandelier, an emerald table was laden with all sorts of delicacies.
Dust muttered with a bewildered expression.
“I heard Sephira was frugal…”
“Sephira is. I’m not.”
Keter popped a couple of boiled eggs into his mouth. At a glance, they looked like chicken eggs, but they were actually harpy eggs, a single one worth hundreds of gold.
“Why aren’t you eating? Afraid I poisoned the food?”
Keter paid no attention to the Primes’ feelings and continued eating. Rajis looked uncomfortable at the sight.
“Prince Keter. This country is at war. Even the nobles are restraining their luxury, and Sephira’s situation can’t be that comfortable…”
Whoosh, thud.
Keter threw an egg at Rajis. Rajis caught it, but for some reason, the egg shattered in his hand.
“You know what I think when I see you? I think, ‘Even I make mistakes.’”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought your arrogance and hypocrisy would disappear, but they’ve only gotten worse.”
“…”
“Relax. I’m not planning to kill you. You’re not worth killing, after all.”
Gulp, gulp.
Keter downed a shot of strong whiskey in one go and climbed onto the chair, looking down at the Primes.
“Guess you’re not hungry? I’m the only one eating like a beggar.”
“I haven’t felt hunger since becoming a Prime, Prince Keter.”
Jeffrey answered Keter as if making an excuse.
“Really? That’s unfortunate. You only know the joy of filling your stomach when you’re hungry.”
Crunch, crunch.
Keter chewed on a bright red apple, core and all. The Primes quietly watched him.
“I’d like you to tell us now. What will you do with us?”
Dust urged Keter for an answer. Keter wiped the seasoning from his mouth with his finger and spoke.
“If it weren’t for the war, I’d have just killed you all. It’s too much trouble to deal with you. But consider yourselves lucky. The war saved you.”
“What do you mean?”
Magon placed his hand by his waist. Though they’d left their swords behind when they came here, they were Primes. They could draw their Aura Swords and attack at any moment.
As the other Primes also prepared to attack at any moment, Keter nodded, pleased.
“I was worried you might cooperate. It would’ve been troublesome if you even pretended to. Thank you for being so openly uncooperative.”
“What…?!”
Whoosh.
The candles on the table and walls all went out at once. The Primes sensed something was wrong.
Whoosh, clang!
The four Primes leaped into the air simultaneously, unleashing a barrage of sword strikes. At Keter in front of them, and in all directions.
But all their attacks vanished as if sucked into the walls.
Creak, crack!
The banquet hall was shrinking. And it wasn’t just their imagination—it was really happening.
“Keter!”
Rajis glared at Keter.
But Keter just shrugged.
“Why?”
Despite the Primes’ sudden sword strikes, Keter remained unharmed, as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, the banquet hall had shrunk to half its size. It wasn’t that the space was disappearing—it was as if the walls themselves were vanishing.
“A spatial magic?”
“We need to use the Heart Sword.”
As seasoned Primes, they realized it wasn’t the walls shrinking but the space itself contracting. And the only thing that could cut through space was the Heart Sword.
Any Prime could wield the Heart Sword. Though it might not work well against other Primes, it was always effective against space itself.
Whoosh!
A Heart Sword appeared in midair, slashing through the void. The sound of the slash was clear.
But they couldn’t escape. The slashed space was filled with nothing but darkness.
“W-what?”
Keter, sitting on the table, chuckled.
“I couldn’t just seal you with ordinary spatial magic, so I prepared something special.”
“Seal us? Don’t be ridiculous! You’re trapped too, Keter!”
“We’ll be sealed together, is that it?”
“This isn’t what we agreed to, Keter!”
The Primes, radiating killing intent, surrounded Keter.
“Now, now, I’ll explain everything. First, I needed bait to gather you all in one place. That bait was me. Second, what you’ve fallen into is the Final Magic, Three Thousand Worlds. As someone who’s been through it before, let me tell you, escaping is impossible, so don’t waste your energy. Third…”
As Keter explained, Magon swung his sword at him. Keter caught the blade between his fingers as if swatting a fly.
“Don’t want to hear the explanation? Then I’ll leave.”
Whoosh.
Keter reached his hand toward the sky, and his hand disappeared. It meant Keter could leave this space at will.
Rajis hurriedly stopped Magon.
“Wait, please finish your explanation, Prince Keter.”
“Please?”
Keter stretched both arms toward the void.
“…I beg you, Prince Keter.”
“Your sincerity is lacking, but since I need to provoke you, I’ll tell you. Third, I won’t kill you. I’ll just seal you away. Frankly, I don’t have the resources to manage four Primes. But leaving you free would be a thorn in my side. Fourth, I will release you. But by the time you’re out, the world will have changed a lot. Either Sephira will have fallen, or the Kingdom will have collapsed.”
“…”
At that moment, the Primes realized. No matter what they did, escaping this space was impossible.
Keter’s confidence was entirely justified. They knew, as enemies, that Keter never lied about such things.
Keter waved goodbye to the resigned Primes.
“Great power comes with great responsibility, right? This is that moment.”
Keter’s first Authority, Unchain.
Thanks to its effect, Keter wasn’t bound by the Three Thousand Worlds, so he naturally slipped away, leaving the Primes behind.
“…”
In the endless white space of the Three Thousand Worlds, the four Primes remained silent for a while.
“Ha…”
Jeffrey soon slumped to the ground, hanging his head—
“To think I’d suffer such humiliation!”
Magon vented his frustration by slashing at the space with his Heart Sword—
Dust began meditating with a resigned expression.
“I don’t plan to stay trapped here forever. I’ll find a way out.”
Rajis said as he walked toward the endless expanse—and never returned.
Victory in the family war against Baydant.
Victory in the war against the Kingdom’s subjugation army led by General Colton, the general of reversal.
And victory in the war against the Southern family alliance.
With this, Sephira had completely pacified the South. There was nothing left in the South to stand in Sephira’s way.
Of course, this wasn’t solely Sephira’s achievement. They had promised territory to those who joined from outside, so they too had their share. About a third of the South could be considered belonging to other countries.
But Sephira wasn’t disappointed. They simply didn’t have the manpower to govern the entire South.
Coveting land they couldn’t manage would only lead to disaster. Hisop, who understood this well, neither desired nor regretted it.
Hisop was once again buried under a mountain of paperwork. With the pacification of the South, the number of issues to handle had increased tenfold.
In Sephira’s head office, Hisop no longer handled tasks alone. Thanks to talents recruited from various places, he had much more leeway.
Yet, Hisop couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh.”
The war with the Southern family alliance was clearly over. The aftermath was proceeding smoothly. Their biggest obstacle, the four Primes, had been neatly dealt with by Keter.
Of course, it wasn’t free. Half of those staying in Sephira had left.
“This much is enough to pay the price. Don’t expect any more help from me.”
Ivan had provided crucial help to Keter and Sephira, but it wasn’t out of mere goodwill. It was all in exchange for Keter’s healing.
And this was the last of it. Ivan left behind the orb that had sealed four Primes and departed.
Keter, of course, let him go without a fuss. It was Keter’s principle not to stop those who came or went.
The problem was, the war wasn’t over yet. Though they had lost the Southern swordsmanship families, the momentum of the two princes was still strong and growing daily.
Though they weren’t eyeing the South yet, it was clear they were wary and preparing. This was felt in the air, in the atmosphere.
Exactly one month after the war with the family alliance ended—a major event shook the entire Kingdom.
“Lord! Urgent news!”
As always, Nabakin appeared to deliver the news to Hisop.
Upon hearing the information Nabakin brought, Hisop was stunned. He blinked blankly for a long time.
“…This is something everyone needs to know.”
Hisop posted the information Nabakin had gathered on a bulletin board for all of Sephira to see.
Thus, even Daat, who was passing by, saw it.
“Wow.”
As soon as Daat saw the bulletin, he ran to Keter. Normally, no one knew where Keter was, but now everyone did.
“Brother. Have you eaten?”
There was a hill in Sephira where the stars were particularly visible, and now Keter was sitting on its edge.
Daat, sitting beside Keter, offered a sandwich he had brought. Keter silently took the sandwich and muttered as he ate.
“Tastes good.”
“I brought one for sister-in-law too.”
There was a small grave on the hill. So small you might not even notice it, but the rock on the grave read ‘Serena.’
Keter snatched the sandwich Daat was about to place on the ground and ate it.
“Serena doesn’t eat meat.”
“Really?”
Daat also knew Serena. But this was the first time he’d heard that. Serena had been extremely taciturn.
Keter brushed off his hands and stood up.
“That’s right.”
“Uh, brother. Did I see wrong? Are you crying?”
“What, do you think it’s sweat?”
Keter had told Daat everything that had happened to him. So Daat knew that Keter had survived thanks to the sacrifices of Serena and Franken.
But the fact that Keter could shed tears over someone’s sacrifice was something Daat had just learned.
“Brother, you cry too.”
“Just one tear. Two tears would be pathetic.”
True to his word, Keter shed only one tear.
“So, what’s the matter?”
Keter returned to his usual self.
For a moment, Daat thought.
‘Would brother cry if I died?’
Hoping that would be the case, Daat composed himself.
“Rukan and Rakan. The two princes have finally had a big fight.”
“Oh? So? Who won?”
Everyone loves a good fight, whether they’re men, women, children, or the elderly. Keter especially loved it, his eyes sparkling.
Crown Prince Rukan and Second Prince Rakan. In terms of strength, Rukan had the advantage, both in quality and quantity.
Moreover, the South was Rakan’s territory. With Sephira pacifying the South, Rakan’s forces had shrunk further, so logically, if Rukan and Rakan clashed, Rakan would be crushed.
But Rakan couldn’t be unaware of this, so he must have prepared strategies and tactics to bridge the gap. Would they have worked against Crown Prince Rukan? Keter was extremely curious.
“First, you should know this. Rakan has gone mad. In this battle, the armies of Baen and Belferio joined Rakan. A surprise force of 50,000.”
“50,000. That’s not a probing attack, but a full-scale intervention.”
Sephira