Swordsmanship Genius Sees the Future

Chapter 40 - Sea of Illusions (3)

Galbrae, the 9th Poison King of the Poison King Family, bowed his head and prostrated himself.

On the dais, three elders looked down at him.

The Elder Council.

The true power of the Poison King Family, reigning above the Poison King.

They were wrinkled old men, but no one knew their true faces.

Faces could be changed infinitely with poison, and if desired, one could even peel off human skin and wear another's face.

The only thing that couldn't be changed was the overwhelming poisonous aura emanating from their bodies.

'These terrible toxic beings...'

Galbrae felt crushed by the pressure of the poisonous aura just by prostrating himself.

He wished they would just state their business and be done with it, but the Elder Council chattered among themselves for a long time, recounting trivial stories.

"Hehehe, so my new hobby lately is baking..."

"Haha, that's like you. Kailun region's wheat is indeed the best. The flavor is different."

"I agree. It would be better if we could get whole wheat. Grinding it right before eating gives a deeper flavor..."

"Ah! Now that I think about it, you were here! My apologies, Galbrae."

One of the old men pretended to be surprised and looked at the Poison King.

"It's been a long time since we met, so we had a lot to talk about. So, is the investigation complete?"

"...It has been confirmed that the Poison King Cult colluded with the Black Luna family and carried out the Granvelle family scorched-earth operation in connection with the revival of the first Poison King, Kainens."

"How does that lead to that?"

"It is said that a large number of children were needed for the resurrection ritual. So it seems they targeted the Granvelle village near the border."

"Hmm, children, you say."

One old man chuckled, trimming his long fingernails.

"They're going to a lot of trouble to bring just one of them back to life. The first Poison King, you say. More importantly, Galbrae."

"Yes, Elder."

"You directly faced that person, did you not? What was your impression? Was he as great as the legends say?"

"Kainens was strong."

The problem was that he used both poisonous aura and regular aura simultaneously.

However, it seemed best to be concise now.

"However, it was not enough to break the balance. He immediately retreated upon seeing the puppet. He can be dealt with at the level of the personal guard. There is no need for the Elders to worry."

"Is that so? Isn't that too harsh a judgment against the first Poison King?"

"No, rather, it's a matter of course. If he were that strong, how would Galbrae be alive and here?"

"Indeed. He would have died already."

"That wouldn't be bad either. We could have made a decent puppet for once."

"Hehe. Indeed. The opportunity to display my skills is gone. The puppets you make are masterpieces, you know. What do you say? Even now..."

"Oh, come on! This old man says everything in front of people!"

"Oh, it's a joke. Why would we bother doing such a thing after putting a perfectly good Poison King in charge?"

'These crazy old men...'

Galbrae felt like he was losing his mind.

The Elder Council chattered irrelevantly for a long time again before finally returning to the main topic.

"Anyway, I understand. By the way, what did they receive in return?"

"Return? What do you mean?"

"The Black Luna, I mean. They set the stage for the Poison King Cult, so they must have received something in return. Was it the Elixir of Immortality again?"

"I don't think so."

"No?"

"Instead of receiving, they gave. A large number of slaves and provisions crossed over from the south. To the territory that the Poison King Cult has taken over."

"They gave instead of received?"

The old man clicked his tongue and shook his head. Then another old man tilted his head and asked,

"That's strange? What kind of situation is that? Why would they make such a losing deal?"

"Did that old man Zigrat play some trick?"

"Hmm. That cunning old man would certainly pull some strings and then some. He's a toxic being with the will to finally resurrect Kainens."

"So, have you found out why the Poison King Cult is focusing so much on Bryce lately? Especially since they're doing something around the Academy?"

'Damn old men. They know everything but pretend not to...'

The topic quickly moved on.

Galbrae gritted his teeth inwardly and spoke.

"As you said. According to reports from field agents, the deployment and activities of Poison King Cult agents have been strengthened, especially around the Northern Academy. The circumstances suggest they intend to cause an incident centered on the Academy."

"An incident, you say. You don't know exactly what they intend to do?"

"It seems they plan to attack the Academy. However, it's not certain. I apologize. Reports come in every ten days, so more time is needed."

"Is that so. It is quite far, after all."

"If you give the order, I will contact them immediately. Even if they have increased their numbers, we have the upper hand in local forces. If we launch a preemptive strike, we can prevent their activities."

"No. There's no need for us to fight among ourselves."

One elder shook his head.

Galbrae frowned and asked again, "The first harvest is not far off. The effort invested in the Academy has been considerable. Wouldn't it be problematic if they caused an accident and ruined the field?"

"Hmm, harvest, you say. That's true."

One old man stroked his beard and let out a forced laugh.

"To think we're worrying about their school... Interesting. By the way, when do you think the Poison King Cult will make its move?"

"According to analysis from the field, there's a high probability it will happen within two months at the latest, or one month at the earliest."

"Evidence?"

"It's the result of securing and analyzing some of their directives. However, the cypher is complex, and a complete interpretation will take time. Perhaps more important information has been uncovered by now, but..."

"It will take time, right? Well, that's good."

One elder stood up and waved a finger.

"Immediately send a messenger to Bryce. Tell them not to engage in any conflict, no matter what they do. If there are signs of them attacking the Academy, give them a hint to evacuate in advance. Tell them not to interfere with whatever they do."

"Understood. But the harvest date is not far off..."

"Of course, the first harvest must be completed. Is there anyone useful right now, you say? If they're old, the potion won't be as effective, will it?"

The old man asked.

Galbrae nodded, recalling the completed potion.

"As you said. So we targeted freshmen who just enrolled. The potion is scheduled to be administered to the winner of the first-year inter-class comprehensive event."

The Poison King Family had succeeded in developing a mind-control poison, colloquially known as the 'potion,' after a long period of research.

The elder who had stood up thought for a moment, then frowned.

"Winner? Is there a need to go through such a cumbersome process? Wouldn't it be better to just pick a useful student from Class A and proceed secretly?"

"I also thought so, but this was the field's judgment."

"The Converter's will?"

"That's right."

Converter was the codename for a commander-level agent performing an important mission in Bryce.

The elder sighed and nodded.

"I see. If Converter says so, then it must be. We will also respect the field's judgment."

"Thank you, Elder."

"Anyway, even if it's the winner, it will be someone from Class A. By the way, didn't you say a new agent entered Class A this year?"

"Yes. Number 92 entered."

"Number 92! I've heard of that one too. Wasn't that the one with the most outstanding ley line sensitivity among the new agents? What do they call him locally?"

"Locally, he's known as 'Tablou Keynes'."

"Hoo, the Keynes family, is it. He managed to infiltrate quite well."

"A lot of effort was put into the adoption process. He's even scheduled to participate as a representative in the aura event of this first inter-class competition."

"That's quite a coincidence. Then what about the comprehensive category?"

"He's the rightful heir of the Black Luna family. His name is Zedebek."

"Black Luna, you say. His abilities?"

"His swordsmanship is said to be mid-4-star, and his aura is high-5-star."

Silence followed.

After a moment, one elder clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Tsk, tsk... At just 15 years old, you say? Astonishing. The Sword King families are truly blessed. We must definitely bring him to our side before he becomes a formidable enemy. Inform the field. Make sure to complete the potion work for that Black Luna fellow first."

"Yes. Understood."

"Once that's done, tell them to leave. Tell them to stay away from the area for a few months until the Poison King Cult causes some trouble."

"I will obey the order. But..."

Galbrae swallowed dryly and cautiously asked,"May I ask one question?"

"Of course. You're the Poison King, aren't you? Ask anything."

'Poison King, my foot. They just treat me as their underling.'

Galbrae was silent for a moment before asking, "The ideology of the Poison King Cult is dangerous. Don't they wish to tear down everything that has been built over hundreds of years and return to the past? Why are you helping them instead of attacking them?"

"So, have they bared their teeth at us?"

"That is..."

Although the recently resurrected first Poison King committed the outrage of invading the Taesul Mountains a while ago, Galbrae shook his head without mentioning it.

"No. The Poison King Cult does not show hostility towards the Poison King Family."

"Right. And do they send agents to spy on us?"

"No. There's no such sign currently."

"On the other hand, we are deploying agents there. And many of them. Surely they've somewhat grasped it. But have any of the agents dispatched to the Poison King Cult been discovered or gone missing?"

"None. Not a single one."

"That's why we're doing this. They don't view us as enemies. So we're leaving them alone. That's not to say we've officially recognized the Poison King Cult's independence, but..."

The old man exchanged glances with the other elders and nodded.

"They are simply attacking the Sword King families with all their might. So there's no downside for us. As you know, it's hard for us to do that ourselves. We're too intertwined with them."

"Of course, that's true, but..."

"The Poison King Family and the Sword King families are already in a hostile symbiotic relationship. It's difficult to openly wage war now."

"But public opinion isn't like that. You know, don't you? Even now, those who oppose such a loose response are increasingly defecting to the Poison King Cult."

"I know. In fact, I'm even encouraging it, so why wouldn't I know?"

"What? What do you mean by that?"

"Hmph, you're still so naive, even as the Poison King."

The elder closed one eye and smiled.

"Militant individuals, rebellious individuals, extremist individuals, and naive individuals are difficult to manage."

"..."

"Hardliners who will only be satisfied by fighting the enemy until death always exist. They grow like poisonous mushrooms and contaminate their surroundings. Wouldn't it be better to pull them out beforehand and throw them into the compost bin? We've got an excellent compost bin, so why would we break it with our own hands?"