I’m the Madman of This Family

Chapter 356. Who’s the Crazier One? (9)

Keter suddenly appeared and threw a meaningful question at Lerkin.

“If you could only save one person, who would it be?”

The knights with Lerkin were all loyal to the point of death. He knew each of them by name and was close to them.

He wanted to save them all. But if that were possible, Keter wouldn’t have asked him to choose just one.

“Sorry.”

Lerkin grabbed the wrist of the youngest knight. At the same time, the monsters attacked, and Keter grabbed the backs of their necks.

“Hold your breath.”

Keter leaped toward the hole in the ceiling.

The monsters weren’t just going to watch. They either charged or attacked from a distance. But Keter’s kaleidoscope blocked them.

“Uwaaaaah!”

The remaining knights didn’t resent Lerkin. Instead, they charged to buy time.

Keter had only chosen one person because the hole was too small. If they didn’t hunch their shoulders, they’d hit the walls.

Moreover, the terrain was the worst for Keter, an archer. A narrow, enclosed space. Even Keter couldn’t fight properly here.

‘Well, if it were just me, I’d manage.’

The monsters weren’t weak enough to fight while protecting someone. That’s why Keter only took Lerkin and the chosen one to escape.

Of course, just escaping wasn’t Keter’s style. Right before reaching the surface, Keter shot an arrow back into the hole.

Milky Way? Grape.

Unlike the regular Milky Way that explodes once, Grape Milky Way explodes eight times in a chain reaction, doubling its range with each explosion.

It’s an attack that can collapse even the largest underground space.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

The explosion starting underground took less than a second to collapse the underground space.

Naturally, the monsters, trainers, and knights below were buried alive in the explosion.

Kurururung!

The ground sank as the underground collapsed.

Keter, who had already reached the surface, set Lerkin and the young knight down and placed his palm on the ground.

They were buried 10 meters underground with the explosion.

Even a Grandmaster wouldn’t survive, but the monsters of the Demon Realm might have. So Keter made sure.

Kuk.

He compressed the loose underground space tightly. If any monsters were alive, they’d have been turned into pulp.

Meanwhile, Lerkin, rescued by Keter, bit his lower lip until it bled. Above his underground hideout was a small village, now devastated.

The smell of blood hit his nose, and he saw the brutally killed bodies. The wounds were torn apart. It was clear monsters, not people, had done this.

“They could’ve just killed me. Why did they have to kill innocent people…….”

Lerkin’s fists trembled. Keter patted his shoulder and said,

“So, how have you been?”

“……Until yesterday, it was fine. Why did you come looking for me? Surely not just to check on me.”

Keter couldn’t help but laugh. When he first met Lerkin, he thought he was just a greedy fool. But now, Lerkin had grown into a proper leader.

Above all, Keter liked how Lerkin skipped the unimportant and got straight to the point.

“I told you at the beginning. Everything is part of the plan. You’ve done well so far.”

“Am I no longer useful?”

With newfound insight, Lerkin looked at Keter with sharp eyes.

Keter had planned to say “Yes.” He intended to dismiss Lerkin here and absorb his forces. That way, he could pressure Rukan, but…….

“No. From now on, I’m not here for the plan but to ask for your cooperation. We’re going to subjugate Prince Rukan, who has become a monster.”

“You want me to ally with Sephira?”

“Not just Sephira. Prince Rakan is with us too. Think of it as the Crown Prince Subjugation Army.”

“I’ll do it.”

“……?”

Keter blinked, about to persuade Lerkin further.

“Do I need to announce it officially, or is it a secret treaty?”

“You’re just accepting it? Aren’t you curious about the conditions, what happens after Rukan is subjugated?”

“I am curious. And worried. But I’ve decided to trust you, Keter. That’s enough.”

“Well…….”

Keter scratched the back of his head. Unintentionally, the situation had become awkward.

The person he planned to use had completely trusted him. Good-natured Keter couldn’t help but save someone who trusted him so much.

For some reason, Lerkin looked up at Keter with admiration.

“If it weren’t for you, I’d still be living like a fool on a deserted island. You just saved my life. How could I not trust you? You’re the savior of my life.”

“Well, if you think so.”

Keter shrugged. If it wasn’t bad, he’d accept it. There was no reason to refuse.

“Tonight, or tomorrow at the latest. The subjugation army will launch a surprise attack on Rukan. He’ll definitely come out to intercept, so you’ll retake the empty city then.”

“After retaking the city, should we announce the official alliance?”

“Wouldn’t the people on the ground know better? Handle it well.”

“Is that it?”

“That’s it.”

Then the ground began to rumble. Just from the vibrations, it was clear hundreds of horses were galloping. Lerkin’s reinforcements were close.

Keter extended his hand to Lerkin.

“No need to escort you.”

“Thank you. And I’ll rely on you in the future.”

Lerkin took Keter’s hand with both hands and bowed. Keter couldn’t just let him go with such sincerity.

“I knew where you were because I left a strand of my hair on you. I put it there when we first met. Should I remove it?”

“What are you talking about? Why would I remove such a precious thing? I’d rather ask for more. Thanks to your hair on my body, I survived.”

“Hmm…. Then take this too.”

Keter handed Lerkin a business card. But it wasn’t an ordinary card; it was modified for two-way communication.

“I’ll treasure it.”

Lerkin accepted it like a treasure, holding it respectfully with both hands. The two parted ways.

Lerkin returned to his base under the escort of his knights. As soon as he arrived, he summoned his advisors. Before they all gathered, Lerkin turned the business card Keter gave him into a necklace and wore it.

Just before attending the important meeting to weed out the traitor—

Chu.

He pressed his lips to the card and whispered.

“Please grant me insight, Keter.”

That night.

Lerkin successfully identified the traitor among his five advisors.

*

The three forces dividing the Lilian Kingdom.

Crown Prince Rukan. Second Prince Rakan. And finally, Duke Lerkin.

After meeting all three and executing his plans, Keter returned to Sephira and immediately prepared to leave again.

Maknun asked Keter,

“Not even staying for dinner?”

“I’ll eat when I get home.”

Going home.

That meant going to Ruquer.

Keter had been “exiled” from Ruquer. He was even “warned” not to return. Yet he was going back. This was no trivial matter. Keter wasn’t just packing lightly.

“Will you be okay? If the monsters of the Demon Realm start rampaging, it won’t end well.”

People know moderation. They know when to surrender and when to accept surrender.

But monsters don’t have such common sense. They kill everything in sight and won’t stop until the last person is dead.

Moreover, to truly kill the monsters of the Demon Realm, a 7-star level of power is essential. If someone as versatile and powerful as Keter is missing, the gap would be huge.

“I’m not planning to go easy, that’s why I’m going to Ruquer.”

Keter, who was packing Supreme Elixirs, suddenly chuckled.

“Now I understand why my masters came to Ruquer.”

What could those at the pinnacle of the outside world lack to come to Ruquer? Keter had always been curious.

So he asked every master he met. Why did they voluntarily come to Ruquer? Each time, they gave the same answer.

“We came to find something.”

Keter was the same.

“Everything that doesn’t exist in this world is in Ruquer.”

“You sound like you’ve gained enlightenment.”

“Pretty much.”

There’s no evidence. But it feels like the answers are in Ruquer. Surely, everything I want to know is there.

The whereabouts of Queen Lilian.

And who exactly Akra is, and where she is.

What kind of existence I am.

The Grand Duke’s goals, everything.

Perhaps even the reason this world exists can be found in Ruquer.

At the same time, I’m certain this is the most dangerous moment of my life.

“Maknun.”

“Why so serious? You’re making me nervous.”

“Got any more Supreme Elixirs?”

“…I’m a fool for expecting. No Supreme, only High-grade.”

“Then that’s it. I’ve packed everything.”

Keter, who had packed all the Supreme Elixirs, rolled up the carpet. The teleportation magic circle to Ruquer was revealed.

It had been damaged when he brought Maknun, but Maknun had restored it.

Uuuuung!

Keter infused Ain into Akra’s ring and immediately channeled its power into the teleportation circle.

Kururururung!

The mansion shook as if it would collapse. Soon, crimson sparks spread in all directions—

Pshuuk.

With a deflating sound, the magic circle was destroyed.

“It’s not working.”

“Thought so.”

He wasn’t disappointed since he expected it, but he had to check. Whether teleportation to Ruquer was possible or not. And now it was confirmed.

If teleporting to Ruquer doesn’t work, then teleporting out is impossible too. Even with Akra’s ring, which allows free passage to Ruquer.

Of course, the path to Ruquer itself isn’t gone. The path to the surface is open, so you can walk there.

“This time, I’m really going.”

No regrets, no reason to delay.

Just as Keter was about to open the window and jump, Jacques the butler burst in.

“Young master!”

The desperation in Jacques’ voice stopped Keter in his tracks.

“What is it, old man?”

“I’m sorry to bother you as you’re leaving. But there’s one thing I need to ask. By any chance…….”

“Yeah, what is it?”

Keter urged, eager to leave. Jacques took a deep breath and spoke seriously.

“By any chance, have you eaten a cow’s heart recently?”

“……?”

Keter, who was about to jump from the railing, stepped down at the absurd question he never imagined.