Ranker's Return

Chapter 702

“Don’t tell me... Duke, did I wake you up from your sleep?” Hyeonu asked carefully.

It was a natural question. If someone was lying on the bed and half covered with a quilt, it was clear that they were sleeping or had just woken up.

“No, I was just enjoying the space.”

John Blake shook his head and denied Hyeonu’s words.

"Then I'm glad.” Hyeonu nodded with an expression of relief.

‘It probably won’t happen, but... nothing should go wrong.’

Hyeonu didn’t think that John Blake was so easily offended, but he politely confirmed it.

“It is a time when you should be busy with the war. Why are you looking for me?” John Blake got out of the bed. This alone completely changed the momentum flowing from him. His drowsy expression disappeared and the serious John Blake appeared.

“His Majesty wants to see you, Duke John.”

Hyeonu immediately revealed why he visited John Blake. There was no need to hide it. John Blake didn’t lose to the emperor when it came to pretenses.

“His Majesty? Me?” John Blake heard Hyeonu’s words and was briefly lost in thought.

‘If it is him... he isn’t weaker than Lebron. Based on their capabilities, it won’t be a problem even if Baler comes...’

John Blake hadn’t seen the emperor in recent years, but he was convinced that the emperor was not weaker than Lebron. The strongest knights of the empire were the Knights of Keon, but it was the emperor, not the commander of the Knights of Keon, who could be called the strongest. It had been like this for generations. There were differences in strength, but this didn’t change the fact that the emperor was the strongest. John Blake was the first exception.

“I can’t move. You should know this. You were there at the time of the agreement.”

For some reason, John Blake was unable to move now. He had a promise with Baler.

“That’s why I’m going to take you, Duke.”

Hyeonu smiled and shook his head. John Blake was needed due to his agreement with Baler.

‘He wants to see me even though he knows this?’

John Blake figured out exactly what was going on after hearing Hyeonu’s words. His decades long experience as a noble shone through.

‘The purpose is to pull Baler out.’

“Hu... Do you want to kill Baler?”

Hyeonu nodded at John Blake’s question. “He wants to kill all the demon kings, not just Baler.”

“His Majesty? Baler is not an easy opponent.”

“There is Teacher. What is there to worry about? He will take care of it if there is any dangerous situation.”

“That’s right... it is true that it is hard to deal with Lebron and that guy, no matter how strong Baler is. I just don’t know why he has to kill Baler...”

John Blake didn’t know the current emperor, but he knew how strong Baler was. Naturally, it was unavoidable to worry about the emperor. Then it quickly faded when he thought about Lebron. Lebron learned the method to create the magic spirit from John and absorbed magic power from Blanc’s magic power stone, so he became stronger than before. It wasn’t hard to beat the demon kings, aside from Baler.

“But... that isn’t something I can judge. If His Majesty wants to do it, I have to follow.”

Hyeonu also hoped that the emperor wouldn’t aim for Baler either. Five demon kings were enough.

“Yes, all subordinates are like this. There is a long way to go, so why don’t we leave now?”

John Blake grabbed a sword and hung it from his waist.

“I want to go back with Duke Blake quickly, but... can you empty the city like this?”

“Don’t you know? The city is just the surface while the reality is the magic power stone.”

Hyeonu nodded. The city was really just the surface. The thing that really mattered was the magic power stone. The real value of the city was to periodically absorb magic power from it.

“Additionally, there is a guy sent by you, so there is no need to worry about this place.”

John Blake smiled. The reason why he was able to lie in bed and relax until this time. It was the work of Viscount Garcia, who was sent to John Blake after Hyeonu semi-forced him away from his city.

‘The guy I sent? Viscount Garcia?’

Only then did Hyeonu recall the existence of Viscount Garcia. He had completely forgotten.

“Are you thinking of leaving Blanc to Viscount Garcia?”

“I don’t intend to leave it to him. I’ve already left it to him. He is really talented. If he is backed with armed force, then I can leave Blanc.”

John Blake liked Viscount Garcia. In particular, it was good that he could deal with what John Blake should be doing.

‘I can leave comfortably.’

If he stayed as the master of Blanc for a few more years, he would be able to hand this position over to Viscount Garcia and leave. Of course, the only thing to hand over was a ring that signified the master of Blanc. The demon king position couldn’t be given up even if he wanted to.

‘The master and teacher are the same.’

Hyeonu heard the words and laughed. The reason why John Blake wanted to leave Blanc, a fine city, was simple.

‘It is too annoying.’

There was already a professional manager called Viscount Garcia. Now there was nothing for John Blake to do. It was enough just to exist silently. Yet even this was annoying for John Blake. It was clear that he wanted to regain his freedom to travel.

‘I said that Viscount Garcia would get another city if he gave up Penn.’

This wasn’t what Hyeonu intended, but this will from John Blake meant he eventually kept the promise he made to Viscount Garcia.

“Viscount Garcia isn’t stupid or weak. He is someone with a strong mind who knows how to wait for the right time, so he won’t be lacking as the master of Blanc.”

Hyeonu gave a favorable review for Viscount Garcia like he was worried John Blake’s mind would change. It was meaningless behavior. John Blake had already made up his mind about Viscount Garcia.

“Yes. He just has to be qualified.”

“Why don’t we leave now? I don’t think we need to waste any more time here.”

John Blake nodded and walked outside the building. Hyeonu followed him quietly. Hyeonu and John Blake quickly left the castle. The two men’s footsteps were fast and there was nothing blocking their way. The road they walked was as smooth as the highway at dawn.

“John!” The two people stopped as they were quickly leaving Blanc. It was because someone called out to John Blake.

John Blake turned his head in the direction of the voice. A familiar face that Hyeonu knew was standing there.

“Garcia, what is going on?”

It was naturally Viscount Garcia who called out to John Blake. Viscount Garcia stopped talking in surprise when he saw Hyeonu standing behind John Blake. Then he soon started talking again. “Uh... Can I ask where you are going?”

“There is someone who wants to see me. I will be going out for a while... in the meantime, I would like you to be in charge of Blanc. What do you think?”

“Huh? Yes! I will do my best to make sure your absence isn’t noticed while you are away.”

Viscount Garcia looked thrilled as he bowed to John Blake over and over again.

‘He is truly the teacher of monsters.’

Hyeonu marveled at John Blake handing the city over to Garcia as smoothly as flowing water. It was the aristocratic technique of someone who had been watching the political struggle in the capital for decades.

“Come on, let’s go. There isn’t a lot of time.”

Hyeonu interrupted Viscount Garcia’s gratitude. He approached John Blake and demanded their departure.

‘There is a long way to go.’

They had to move on their own two feet unless John Blake could teleport like Baler. It wasn’t known when the demon kings sent by Baler would come. Thus, they had to return to Alfore as soon as possible.

“I am asking you, Garcia.”

John Blake waved to Viscount Garcia, turned around, and started moving with Hyeonu again. It was toward Alfore.

***

It happened as Hyeonu disappeared from Alfore to pick up John Blake...

In the center of Alfore, Lebron was having a separate conversation with the emperor.

“Why are you trying to kill Baler? Isn’t four a satisfactory number?”

Lebron didn’t understand the emperor’s greed. Fighting a strong existence like a demon king was definitely a great experience. It was just that including Baler was a separate story.

“It is for you and me, Lebron,” the emperor answered with a deep smile.

Here, they were alumni with joint goals, not the emperor and duke.

“What does that mean? It is for us? Even if Baler dies... there are three demon kings remaining in the demon world at most. Me, you, and Master.”

If Baler was dragged to the battlefield, Lebron would inevitably have to participate in the battle. Then Lebron would have to kill him and ascend to the position of demon king.

“That is why I’m trying to kill Baler. The middle world and demon world are already bound. The path opened through the magic circle won’t be blocked again. That can’t happen unless the lizards are crazy. If we don’t kill Baler, the sole demon king of the demon world is Baler. Don’t you know what that means, Lebron?”

“Why is Baler the only demon king left... don’t tell me?”

Lebron was questioning the emperor’s words when John Blake’s face crossed his mind. The emperor laughed and expressed his thought, “Yes, he will unconditionally leave the demon world. It will happen in a few years, even if it isn’t right now. So... it is important to make sure this doesn’t happen in the first place.”.

“Are you trying to prevent Master from moving around the demon world?”

“I know that he is the type of person who can’t stay still. I just want to get rid of the center point. If I exclude the demon kings and use the adventurers and lizards, nothing dangerous will happen.”

“Hearing this, I think we should unconditionally kill the demon kings.”

At this, Lebron stood up from his seat.

“Goodbye.”

The emperor saw Lebron off from his seat.

‘There won’t be one, but two demon kings left in the demon world.’

“My friend...”