The Emperor Has Returned

Chapter 268 – Side Story 7: Woman of the Lake (3)

Berinsil wore a ferocious expression, but his posture was courteous. He wordlessly stared at Juan. Berinsil was the first to bow and show respect. Challengers would usually show respect to their opponent first, but Berinsil already knew that the main character of this play was Juan rather than himself.

His role was to draw Juan out of the crowd.

‘Was he chosen to play this role just because he seems ill-tempered?’ thought Juan. However, Juan was forced to correct his thoughts as soon as Berinsil got into a proper position and started swinging his sword.

Berinsil was a real talent. If he were to decide to fight for real, then he would undoubtedly win and become Haranbal’s groom.

Juan barely managed to block Berinsil’s sword. However, Berinsil quickly corrected his posture as if he had expected Juan’s reaction.

Berinsil’s swordsmanship felt familiar to Juan. The traces of the elf swordsman of Aruntal who had taught Juan swordsmanship could be clearly seen from Berinsil’s movements. Berinsil was as powerful as the elf swordsman of Aruntal—if not more.

‘He didn’t show even half of his skills when he fought the other elves.’

Even if the elves in the open space attacked Berinsil at once, they would still not be able to defeat him. However, it would be a different story if Haranbal or Aunkel decided to get involved.

Meanwhile, Berinsil was about to deliver his third attack.

However, Juan could already beat the elf swordsman of Aruntal. Thinking that he had been polite enough and showed considerable respect, Juan struck the sword rushing toward him.

Juan didn’t have to perform proper swordsmanship. His vision, strength, and speed were overwhelmingly better than Berinsil’s. Berinsil’s eyes widened, and he tried his best to hold the sword in his hand, but the blade was split into two.

Berinsil looked at his broken sword in disbelief.

At that moment, murderous intent soared from Berinsil. However, he wasn’t furious because he got defeated or because his sword was split into two. The murderous intent soaring was out of desperation.

Berinsil was about to execute an attack carrying his murderous intent, but someone placed their hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you for your hard work, Berinsil.”

It was Aunkel.

Berinsil glared at Arunkel and muttered something to himself. However, he soon turned around and walked away. He didn’t look as polite as when the duel first started. Juan wondered if it was because he was angry about being defeated, but there was something odd about thinking that Berinsil’s fury was only due to his defeat.

“So what happens now? Am I Haranbal’s groom?”

Aunkel chuckled and replied, “No, not yet.”

“Are there any challengers left?”

Aunkel smiled awkwardly before unsheathing two swords from his waist.

Juan stared dumbfoundedly at Aunkel. “The bride’s father is going to take part in his daughter’s groom selection process?”

“I’m ashamed, Your Majesty. However, incest is not that uncommon among us elves. The same is true of humans as far as I know.”

“Are you serious?”

Incest was banned in Juan’s empire, but incest was common among the ancient kingdoms and tribes. It was all to prevent losing the power of the tribe as a whole.

However, Juan couldn’t have expected that a king as honorable as Aunkel would do such a thing.

Aunkel raised his two swords with a bitter expression.

“Please think of me as a shameless old man acting up to his future son-in-law.”

Juan finally realized that Aunkel had been waiting for this moment all along. Winoa was showing his burning desire to fight beside Juan.

Juan sighed as if he couldn’t help it.

“Then…”

As soon as Juan agreed to the duel, Aunkel immediately rushed at Juan without even showing his respect. Aunkel’s powerful attack with both of his swords at the same time had enough power to split a dragon's head in half.

Juan’s eyes widened as he received the blow, kicking up a cloud of dust that shook the tents in the surroundings.

The shockwave from the attack ruined the wedding hall.

‘He is serious.’

Aunkel’s attack just now could kill Juan with a single blow. Juan wondered whether this was the trap Winoa was talking about or not, but it would be strange to think that way because they could have just swarmed and worn him down.

In addition, if Haranbal and Berinsil joined the fray, it would have been difficult for Juan to survive.

However, Haranbal sat and watched the duel between Juan and Aunkel in silence.

Aunkel attacked Juan once again by rotating his sword and swiping left. Juan raised his sword vertically to block Aukel’s sword, but Aunkel’s sword abruptly bent like a snake.

Aunkel held the sword in a reverse grip and thrust at Juan’s abdomen.

Juan barely managed to dodge. A hole was made in his clothes, but he wasn’t wounded. Aunkel’s odd swordsmanship was a swordsmanship that Juan had never seen before. Juan felt like there was a thorn sticking out of Aunkel’s sword.

Meanwhile, Aunkel took a stance with his swords and charged at Juan.

It seemed that he was planning on cornering Juan, locking him up in a prison of swords.

The loud noises of metal clashing against metal could be heard.

Winoa was nervously watching the duel between Aunkel and Juan, and he could feel an unknown sense of urgency from Aunkel.

Winoa couldn’t understand such urgency and desperation, so he started thinking that perhaps the elves had invited the emperor to force Juan to marry Haranbal for the sake of forming an alliance. However, this was a real life-and-death battle rather than a duel.

Aunkel’s sword moves were fatal, and Juan couldn’t do anything other than dodge.

There was a shrill noise as their swords collided with each other.

All of a sudden, Juan’s figure blurred within the prison of swords built by Aunkel. Juan suddenly extended his sword toward Aunkel as he squeezed out of the small space where not even a finger could stick out.

Aunkel was confused, and he momentarily lost his focus. There was a loud clang as he dropped his sword after receiving a wound on the back of his hand.

Aunkel groaned as he looked at the sword on the ground.

Juan could feel that Aunkel’s murderous intent still hadn’t dissipated. Aunkel tightly gripped the remaining sword in his hand. Aunkel’s murderous intent burned like a prairie fire, but his flames were abating.

Aunkel was trying to catch his breath while still holding the last remaining sword in his hand. Eventually, he seemed to have made a decision as he let go of the sword, seemingly throwing it away.

The sword produced a loud noise upon hitting the ground.

The pallid Aunkel stared at Juan. “That was a good… good duel.”

However, Aunkel wasn’t smiling at all. He had swung his swords many times, but he only managed to force Juan into defending himself with his sword four times.

It was apparent that Juan had gone easy on Berinsil earlier.

Juan saw through the essence of Aunkel’s swordsmanship in just two moves, and it became clear that Juan had been going easy on Aunkel all this while. However, Aunkel was upset not because Juan had defeated him.

Juan bowed as a show of respect.

Winoa hurriedly approached Juan and handed him a glass of water. Juan wasn’t physically thirsty, but he felt thirst in a different sense. Aunkel and Berinsil seemed to have been shaken by the results of the duels, and it made Juan feel uneasy.

It seemed that Aunkel and Berinsil had been living with honor as their core values, so Juan felt like he had left a stain on their honors.

Winoa spoke carefully, “Well, it seems that things have gotten a bit awkward here.”

“I suppose so.”

“His Highness doesn’t seem to think of Your Majesty as a groom material. What if we were mistaken? Considering the beauty standards of the elves, we humans might look ugly as a squid in their eyes and—”

Juan stared at Winoa. Winoa instantly realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly corrected himself. “Oh, I don’t mean that Your Majesty is ugly. It’s just that… it could be the case in the eyes of the arrogant elves. Your Majesty is probably a good-looking squid and—”

“All right, that’s enough. Be quiet. However, I must admit that I’m glad that I brought you here with me. You made me feel a bit better.”

Winoa couldn’t understand what Juan was talking about, but he seemed to have taken Juan’s words as praise.

Juan moistened his throat with water and looked around.

There was complete silence.

No one among the elves seemed to be willing to step out.

Winoa whispered into Juan’s ear, “If Your Majesty ends up being chosen as the groom, what will you tell Miss Elaine?”

“That’s a useless concern.”

Someone finally stood up from their seat. Winoa turned, wondering if there was still someone brave enough to challenge Juan.

However, his eyes widened upon seeing a figure he could have never expected.

Haranbal was picking up a sword with a bitter smile on her face.

“You did a great job, Juan.”

Haranbal’s tone of voice had returned to her usual self.

“I’m the final challenger.”

***

“I’m starting to wonder about the intention of this duel,” Juan said.

“I thought you said that the role of a female knight saving the prince suits me more than a princess in distress?” Haranbal answered with a smile. The elves weren’t agitated. It seemed that they knew that this would happen.

“Please forgive them, Juan. It was out of our expectations that the fight became so fierce. I just allowed them to have a duel with you because they wanted to see how good you were, but I guess they got too emotional.”

“Do you consider yourself better than those two?”

“I can’t say yes with confidence.”

Juan carefully examined Haranbal’s posture. Haranbal often used the bow, but Juan knew that she could use the sword as well because she would use it whenever she was cutting leather, trimming meat, or interrogating prisoners.

However, it was very rare for her to use a sword against an opponent in close-quarters combat. Of course, she was a great swordswoman, but her prowess with the sword wasn’t good enough for her to start using the sword as her main weapon.

Haranbal’s archery had already reached the summit. There was no way that Haranbal could use her sword better than Aunkel or Berinsil, who had devoted their entire lives to swordsmanship.

“You can use your bow.”

“Do you really think that I’m standing here right in front of you just to beat you? I wouldn’t have created this situation to begin with if that were the case.”

‘I suppose so.’

Juan nodded and took a stance with his sword.

However, Haranbal only looked at Juan with a sword held loosely in her hand.

“Juan. Do you know anything about our god?”

Juan frowned at Haranbal’s question. He was about to answer, but Haranbal went on.

“I’m not talking about her strengths or weaknesses. I’m talking about Iolin’s story.”

“I don’t know.” Juan wasn’t very interested in anything else other than Iolin’s strengths or weaknesses. Iolin was very rarely seen, but the same was true of many other gods.

She was a god that could only be found in mythology, and only the knights and elves she had chosen could meet her.

Iolin’s appearance in the mythology was consistent. She was a goddess who was elegant, honorable, and willing to side with the weak.

Iolin would always put the individual’s values first before anything else, and many humans received help from the elves because of it. Therefore, it was a big deal when Juan refused to form an alliance with them. Their antipathy was understandable.

“I have no idea why you’re asking me that, but I do know that she is a noble being who values honor.”

Haranbal stared at Juan without saying anything. What she wanted to say to Juan was clear—she was begging Juan to spare Iolin’s life.

By then, the elves would naturally fall under Juan’s rule and will. However, Haranbal was convinced that the elves wouldn’t suffer beneath Juan. After all, Haranbal was sure of Juan’s nature.

Unfortunately, Juan was stubborn.

“Iolin’s greatness doesn’t matter. Her existence alone is more harmful than her values. As long as Iolin exists, I doubt that equality will exist,” said Juan. He quickly added, “I suggest you don’t try to persuade me, Haranbal. Iolin gave the elves all sorts of blessings. You have been enjoying the privileges of her blessings without doing anything in exchange, so you people do not deserve to complain.”

”We—humans—also have no intention of living under your sympathy forever.”

Haranbal smiled bitterly at Juan’s attitude and stomped, kicking up a cloud of dust. However, she was neither angry nor disappointed. She simply remained silent as if she already knew Juan’s reaction.

Then, she spoke slowly, “I don’t know, Juan. I know that what you say, what you think, and what you mean will surely come in the future, but I have never thought that what Iolin had been doing is wrong.”

Haranbal looked at Juan with a steady gaze.

“Iolin and the elves have been trying our best to protect our rationality in the era of madness, and when you still didn’t exist...”

Juan remained silent.

“We fought even when the continent burned under Gepelude’s flag and when the Army of the Dead ripped apart half of the population. We fought to protect the things we had to protect even when the dwarfs burned forests and made holes in the mountains.”

The existence of the elves and Iolin was the only shining light in the dark era.

“Are we sinners for enduring all those hard times now that the era of madness is over?”

“You aren’t sinners,” Juan replied.

Haranbal felt a bit hopeful at Juan’s answer.

However, Juan’s following words shattered Haranbal’s hope. “Because I will put an end to everything before you become sinners. Some things turn into hope once they disappear.”

Haranbal looked devastated. She sighed upon seeing Juan’s determination.

In the end, she slowly lifted another sword. Juan was concerned upon seeing that Haranbal was using two swords. Although rare, he had seen Haranbal fight with a sword, but it was Juan’s first time seeing her fight using two swords.

“I came to give you victory, glory, and eternity,”?Haranbal’s voice was trembling as she muttered, “I could have been the most powerful helper for your ideals, dreams, and more. We simply wanted to sit next to your shining throne. Your beauty could have shone forever if you were willing, but…”

Haranbal held one of the two swords in reverse and stared at Juan.

“But how much are you willing to give up to lose?”