MTLNOVEL Chapter 288
Chapter 289. Failure is Treason, Success is Revolution (3)
Nila, a member of the Moon Beast Tribe of the Seven Evil Tribes, was utterly baffled.
After spouting nonsense about sparing her life if she gave hers up, Keter had the audacity to look as if he was the one making a concession.
‘What kind of person is this?’
If someone says something strange, they should explain why they said it. But Keter kept his mouth shut. He even looked at her as if she was the strange one.
‘He’s waiting for me to ask what he means.’
Though Nila was at a loss, Keter didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking, so she decided to play along for now.
“What do you mean by that?”
“What do I mean? I’m saying I’ll send you to someone even the Emperor can’t touch.”
“……?!”
Nila’s drooping ears perked up. That was an absurd statement.
There was no place on the continent where the Emperor’s influence didn’t reach. Even royalty couldn’t escape the Emperor’s pressure.
Moreover, who in this world would dare to risk antagonizing the Emperor to protect the Seven Evil Tribes?
If such a person or faction existed, Nila would have already gone to them. But since they didn’t, she had no choice but to cling to the Baydant family to grow stronger.
“You’re not joking about sending me to the afterlife, are you?”
“I stopped making those kinds of jokes seven years ago.”
“Do I really have to ask for you to answer? So, who is this amazing person, and where are they?”
“The Sword Emperor, Kazaran. I’ll tell you where he is once the deal is finalized.”
“Sword Emperor Kazaran! He’s still alive?”
Sword Emperor Kazaran.
He was a figure from 300 years ago, a Godslayer who killed gods with just a sword. Not just one god—he killed over three.
His deeds were so extraordinary that they were recorded in history. However, scholars had differing opinions about him.
“He killed evil gods who failed to become true gods.”
“He killed demigods.”
“It was a cowardly act, taking advantage of the gods’ weakened state.”
But no one denied that Kazaran had killed divine beings. That’s how incredible Kazaran was. A human who killed gods.
Then one day, Kazaran suddenly disappeared.
The world speculated that the highest gods, unable to tolerate his ‘god hunting,’ had personally intervened to kill him.
‘But Kazaran is alive, you say? He’s a bit crazy, but…’
Keter had met Kazaran in his past life. Though it was only for a week, Kazaran’s level of power was beyond what words like “strong” could describe.
An 8-star Irregular, he was a human who truly possessed the power of a god.
‘He’s an incomprehensible person, but there was one thing we connected on.’
The reason Keter could meet Kazaran was because of ‘beastmen.’
‘Who would believe it? Kazaran is a furball.’
Kazaran loved animals. The deserted island he lived on was teeming with them. Even members of the Seven Evil Tribes lived by his side.
Specifically, the Flame Hound Tribe of the Seven Evil Tribes.
He testified to Keter:
“The Empire knows I’m here. They know, but they can’t touch me.”
Keter could see why.
Even if the Emperor was uncompromising toward the Seven Evil Tribes, facing an 8-star would be too costly.
‘His presence was almost at the level of a Grand Duke.’
In any case, Keter hadn’t offered to spare Nila’s life without reason. He had a valid basis. Of course, it was also because he could extract a suitable price.
“Kazaran will protect you. But the place he lives is far removed from the human world. Once you enter, it’s nearly impossible to leave. Do you understand what that means?”
“It means I can no longer interfere in this world. So, you’re metaphorically asking for my life.”
“What are you talking about? If you’re going there, you’ll have to give up everything you have.”
“…….”
“Well, what you said is also true. And I’ll have to pretend to the Special Operations Unit that I killed you. That way, you can escape safely. So, I’ll need that.”
Snap.
Keter pointed at Nila’s fluffy rabbit ears.
“It’s safer to take both. But Kazaran might not like that. So, just one.”
“Do you know what ears mean to the Moon Beast Tribe—”
“They’re the second most important thing after the heart. That’s why I’m asking for it. To make them believe you’re dead, I’ll need at least that much.”
“…Keter. How can I trust you at all? I can’t be sure Kazaran is alive, where he is, or that you’ll take me to him.”
“That’s just how life is. Some deals only work if you believe first. If you don’t believe, there’s nothing I can do. Usually, the desperate side is the one who believes. To be honest, it’s easier for me to just kill you here and give your corpse to the Special Operations Unit.”
“Why take the hard road when the easy one is right there? The moment the Emperor finds out you helped me, not only you but the entire House of Sephira will be wiped out.”
Nila held onto a sliver of hope. Maybe Keter also hated the Emperor.
“I’ve always disliked doing what everyone else does and preferred doing what others don’t. If I see a beautiful flower garden, I want to set it on fire. If I see a barren desert, I want to plant flowers.”
Nila tried to understand what kind of psychology that was and soon found the answer.
“…Isn’t that just being insane?”
“That’s what everyone calls me.”
“Sigh… Must I entrust my fate, the fate of the Moon Beast Tribe, to a madman?”
“Think about how the madman feels listening to this.”
Rip.
Nila grabbed her left ear and tore it off.
It was a grotesque sight, but Keter didn’t even blink.
“A ragged tear looks more convincing than a clean cut. A wise choice.”
Nila handed her torn ear to Keter. Strangely, the ear still seemed to pulse with life.
“For the Moon Beast Tribe, ears are called prophecy pouches. Without them, the quality of prophecies will drop… But since the world is already clouded, it’s not a big loss.”
“What about my treasures?”
“I left them all in Baydant. The knowledge too. Knowledge that could overturn the world. How you use it is entirely up to you, Keter.”
“Did you leave the original Moonlight Spear Technique as well?”
“Yes.”
“A wise choice.”
“What should I do now?”
“Return to Baydant and help Catherine and the knights escape. Then, prepare yourself mentally.”
“Easy. All my efforts to escape the Empire now feel utterly futile.”
Nila turned to leave but paused. Then she looked back.
She remembered that Keter called himself a Solver.
“Keter. If I were to request you to kill the Emperor, would you accept?”
Kill the Emperor.
A request no one in this world would accept, but Keter formed a coin shape with his fingers and said:
“If the price is right.”
“…A shame. I should have saved up more treasures.”
A request to kill the Emperor would cost more than millions.
But Nila thought other requests might be worth making.
“Keter, this is a personal request. If you find other members of the Seven Evil Tribes… tell them my story. What I did and what happened to me.”
“The price?”
Though not a difficult request, nothing was free with Keter.
“I’ll give you the cipher code agreed upon by the Seven Evil Tribes. With that, no one will dare to mess with you.”
“Oh, of course, payment upfront?”
“I trusted you once. Can’t I trust you twice?”
“Smart.”
That night, Keter completed a public request and took on a private one.
Feeling thoroughly productive, Keter slept soundly that night.
*
“What is happening?”
On the rooftop of the royal palace tower.
Crown Prince Rukan stood where the city was clearly visible, the cold wind blowing fiercely.
He clutched his chest, his expression filled with frustration.
“Why is everything going wrong?”
Executing the Family War had gone according to plan. But for some reason, nothing had gone right since then.
Not only had the National Scholar Lerkin escaped, but he had also inexplicably formed a faction.
At first, Rukan thought the National Scholar posed no threat. After all, he was just an ordinary human who had been imprisoned.
But who would support someone without exceptional abilities or a prestigious family background? How could this have happened?
“Half the palace knights have pledged loyalty to him!”
The Sun Church, the Dragon Knight Order, and the Royal Guards—three of the palace’s most powerful military groups—had officially declared their support for Lerkin.
Even those who had sworn loyalty to Crown Prince Rukan or Second Prince Rakan had changed their allegiance.
“Why would they follow such a man!”
Rukan, who referred to his biological father Lerkin as “such a man,” couldn’t understand it.
Even Keter and Daat hadn’t anticipated this. Lerkin, who should have caused only a minor disturbance in the palace, had unexpectedly grown his influence to this extent.
Did Lerkin have some hidden ability?
The secret lay in Queen Lilian’s accessories.
Lerkin was the only person in the palace who could enter the Queen’s chambers. He adorned himself with her accessories and sprayed her perfume before leaving.
Originally, it was a performance to show he had the legitimacy to succeed the Queen, but it had an unexpected effect.
The accessories and perfume, steeped in the Queen’s essence, unleashed her charm ability. Those deeply loyal to the Queen became charmed by Lerkin.
It was only natural that Crown Prince Rukan and Second Prince Rakan were horrified. While the Queen’s charm didn’t work on them, it worked all too well on humans.
Even some nobles had turned to Lerkin, forcing Rukan and Rakan to join forces to expand their influence.
But the relationship between the two princes had soured.
Though they had been neutral toward each other, Keter had created a small rift between them.
A massive crack wasn’t needed. Even a small crack, enough for an ant to pass through, could eventually break everything.
Rukan and Rakan, instead of uniting, only checked each other, allowing Lerkin’s faction to grow.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
“Why has the number of foreigners in the south suddenly exploded?”
With the civil war, it was expected that foreign interest would increase.
But foreigners had flocked exclusively to the south. It was strange, considering the civil war between Sephira and Baydant.
“Why are they acting as if they knew in advance and came to watch?”
The foreigners acted as if they had known about the Family War between Sephira and Baydant beforehand. That shouldn’t be possible.
And it wasn’t just one or two countries. People from the neighboring Baen Kingdom and Adeus Kingdom, as well as the Belfario Kingdom and the Sammael Empire, had come to watch.
Even more.
“The Sun Church, the Syndicate, the Saint Zarbella Foundation. And every other group in this world has gathered in the south?”
How could this bizarre phenomenon be interpreted? What could possibly be their purpose, and how had they all gathered in the south to watch the Family War between Sephira and Baydant?
Indeed, how could anyone guess?
That Keter had invited them all to watch his and Sephira’s exploits.