CHAPTER 150

"He's finally gone," Otto Han muttered, watching the spot where Elric had disappeared, his hands clasped behind his back. 

Slowly, he turned around, revealing a face now etched with far more wrinkles than before.

When Elric had left, Otto's skin had been clear, giving him the appearance of a dignified elder. 

But now, he looked as if he had endured the harsh passage of decades in mere moments. 

His skin was covered in freckles, his eyes struggled to focus, and his back was bent, making it hard for him to stand upright.

Elric wouldn't know, but Otto Han had transferred the very last of his mana to him.

Even though Elric was exceptionally talented, his quick completion of the Spell-power Circuit had only been possible due to Otto Han's painstaking, unseen efforts.

Would that arrogant descendant ever understand how much his ancestor had sacrificed for him?

Otto wondered if Elric would even feel gratitude if he did realize it.

Not that it mattered to Otto Han. He had never expected anything in return. His efforts to rebuild the family and leave these intricate plans were never about seeking a reward.

In truth, it had been more about his own sense of fulfillment.

Now, with all his work finally complete, Otto smiled faintly at the thought that he could finally rest, something he had long awaited.

He wasn't sure if she would be waiting for him on the other side.

But even if she wasn't, he thought he would chase after her until she accepted him once again.

And with that thought, Otto Han's fading figure quietly disappeared from the white world.

"Whoever takes over next sure will have a lot to deal with," his final whispered words echoed softly, reverberating like a faint, distant memory.

***

"Gasp, gasp, gasp!"

Panting heavily, Sophia bolted from the dungeon as if Elric might change his mind at any moment.

Her breath came in ragged gasps, and her thoughts were singularly focused on one thing—getting out of there as quickly as possible.

It wasn't until she reached the outer edge of the dungeon that she finally allowed herself a deep sigh of relief.

From this point on, even if Elric pursued her, she figured she could find a way to escape.

With that thought, Sophia let out a breath of gratitude for her survival. But alongside that relief came a growing sense of regret over the treasures left behind in the dungeon.

'If only I'd managed to take even a little out with me...'

According to imperial law, dungeons were the property of whoever discovered them first. 

By that logic, since she was the only surviving member of her team, didn't that make her the rightful owner of the dungeon?

Sure, she had fled in a panic, but from her perspective, Elric had essentially stolen the dungeon from her.

'Should I sue him and claim it outright?'

Even though she knew it wasn't wise to provoke Elric's anger, she couldn't fully let go of her greed for the dungeon.

Luckily, she had left some evidence proving she was the original discoverer. Besides, she had a lover in the court who could help her maneuver the legalities. 

Maybe she wouldn't be able to claim full ownership, but she could at least extract a hefty settlement.

Her thoughts shifted dramatically, from the terror of nearly losing her life to plotting how she might profit from the situation.

It was typical of how Sophia had grown up—always interpreting situations to her advantage.

Yes, this could work.

With that plan in mind, she steeled herself and prepared to leave the forest. But just then—

"…What's going on?"

She halted abruptly, her senses on high alert.

The air had become... unnaturally cold.

There were no sounds—not even the chirping of insects.

All she could hear was the cold wind rustling through the grass.

The thought crossed her mind: if she stepped outside the dungeon, she would die.

She needed to leave—every instinct told her to escape, but still, she hesitated.

"You have good instincts, girl."

But that brief moment of hesitation was all it took to seal her fate.

Approaching swiftly from the dungeon's entrance, she saw figures—warriors radiating an ominous, lethal energy.

They wore armor and helmets like knights, but there was nothing noble or honorable about them. These were no protectors of the realm, but ruthless hunters driven by greed and orders alone.

Sophia could feel it—they were creatures of the shadows, much like herself.

When her eyes fell on the blue wolf insignia on their cloaks, a silent scream formed in her throat.

'The Blue Wolf…!'

These were the infamous "cleaners" of the prestigious Blue Lion family. They handled the family's dirty work, operating in secrecy to eliminate threats.

Why were they here?

How were they connected to Elric?

'Wait... Ric? Elric Melvinger? The Hero of Lacente! The one who defeated the Blue Wolf…!'

Among those who lived in the shadows, there had been whispers of what had transpired in Lacente. People knew that squads of the Blue Wolf had pursued Isabelle under the orders of Paul Weyl, only to get entangled with Elric Melvinger.

Paul Weyl had been furious when Isabelle slipped through his grasp because of Elric.

Though Paul had tried to track Elric down afterward, he abandoned the effort once he learned that Elric was the head of the Melvinger family.

But now it seemed Paul had drawn his sword once more.

Sophia had the terrible luck of getting caught in the middle of it all.

'Maybe… if I explain…!'

Perhaps she could save herself by revealing the dungeon's layout and Elric's location. Desperately, she tried to say something, anything, to prove her worth.

But before she could speak—

Slash!

A sharp blade had already torn through her life.

"I'm afraid I've been ordered not to leave any survivors."

The captain of Blue Wolf Squad 1, Tanant, smiled coldly as he withdrew the sword from Sophia's chest.

Thud!

Blood gushed from her fallen body, soaking the ground beneath her.

"Move in."

At Tanant's command, the members of Blue Wolf Squad 1 flooded into the dungeon.

***

"This time, will you bring me the head of Elric Melvinger?"

Paul Weyl's eyes blazed with fury and madness.

In response, his scheming advisor, Hilton, bowed his head even lower.

"We will succeed."

"You know I don't tolerate vague answers, Hilton. It's not about whether you can do it—you must do it. You're aware of how unimpressed I've been with your recent work, aren't you?"

Hilton dared not lift his head.

He knew that anything he said would only sound like an excuse, and Paul wasn't the type to accept excuses. Paul only cared about results. He had no patience for failure or justifications.

The only reason Hilton still had his head on his shoulders was that he had proven useful in solidifying Paul's influence within the family.

But even that was wearing thin.

'I need the head of Elric Melvinger for my own survival as well.'

Ever since Elric had been lauded as the Hero of Lacente and Isabelle had been portrayed as the victim of an assassination plot by her uncle, Paul Weyl's reputation had taken a nosedive.

Those who had once supported him within the family had withdrawn their backing, leaving Paul isolated.

The Weyl family had prided itself on being known for fairness and honor, thanks to the legacy of Herman. But the scandal surrounding Paul had stained that reputation beyond repair.

The knights of the Weyl family, who held honor and strength above all else, could no longer tolerate Paul's actions.

A lion, after all, must be strong, but also noble.

Paul had failed to embody that nobility. He might have become the leader of wolves, but he was no lion.

Had Isabelle been completely powerless, the knights might have turned back to Paul eventually. But rumors had begun circulating that Herman had awoken from his long stupor.

To make matters worse, the Blue Hawks, who had been following Herman around for a long time and served as the 'elder' of the Blue Lion family, took Isabelle's side.

As more and more knights sought the truth, Paul found himself in an increasingly precarious position.

Paul's only option now was to seize control of the family by force.

For that reason, Paul and Hilton had shared a common goal—to discredit Herman and cement Paul's power within the family.

It seemed like their plan was bearing fruit.

While Herman followed Elric into the Black Snowfield to recover, Paul had succeeded in filling key positions within the family with his own loyalists.

But Paul was unaware that his entire plan had been anticipated by Isabelle, who had been quietly making her own preparations behind the scenes.

Herman and Isabelle had never rushed. 

They moved carefully, making secret connections with those loyal to Herman, instructing them to maintain a façade of allegiance to Paul.

The idea was that when Herman and his allies reemerged, these infiltrators would align with them, lending critical support.

And then, just recently, Herman appeared once more, accompanied by the Blue Hawks and Isabelle, looking far healthier than expected. The entire Weyl family was thrown into turmoil.

Those who had already made contact with Herman pledged their allegiance to him publicly, and a great number of knights bent the knee to Herman as well.

As a result, the Weyl family was deeply shaken.

Herman, seeking to reclaim the family's leadership, and Paul, desperate to hold onto his position, were now locked in a power struggle, with their forces fairly evenly matched.

In fact, the advantage was tipping toward Herman, whose claim carried greater legitimacy. The tide was close to fully turning in his favor.

Realizing that if things continued this way, he would end up with nothing, Paul decided to take one last gamble.

"I hear that Herman and Elric Melvinger are quite close. His state of mind must be shaken, even if only once."

Paul knew that while Herman appeared physically well, his encounter had revealed that Herman had not fully recovered. That gave Paul the confidence to propose a decisive battle.

One week from now, at noon. We will duel in front of the entire capital in the central square, and the winner will become the head of the Weyl family.

In the end, no matter what anyone said, strength was the most important trait for anyone vying to be the leader of the lions.

Herman, unsurprisingly, accepted the challenge, nodding in agreement, and then withdrew with his entourage.

Paul was confident he would not lose.

Herman might have been a fearsome figure in the past, but Paul was certain that in his current weakened state, Herman could be beaten.

Paul, after all, had not been neglecting his training.

Of course, Paul had no intention of fighting a fair duel.

He ordered Hilton to bring him Elric's head. It was all part of his plan to destabilize Herman emotionally.

Given that Herman had once suffered a mental breakdown, Paul was certain that another significant shock would make it difficult for him to maintain his focus during the duel.

Above all else, Paul could not forgive Elric for the brazen warning he had sent.

Up until now, Paul had refrained from attacking Elric because of the political consequences of targeting the Radiant Star Duke. But now that Elric had ventured into the wilderness, if he were to die in an "unfortunate accident," who would know the truth?

Herman and Isabelle might suspect something, but with only circumstantial evidence, they wouldn't be able to take any action against Paul.

[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]