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“…”

The Azure Dragon Squad Leader didn’t answer with an embarrassed look, so I spoke while imagining whatever came to mind.

“You didn’t show your face at the banquet, so were you training even at that time? What passion. And the Squad Leader himself is cleaning up too. Quite an exemplary attitude.”

“I’m not the Squad Leader.”

“You’ve lost your mind?”

“No.”

The Azure Dragon Squad Leader pointed to his attire.

“As you can see.”

I examined the Azure Dragon Squad Leader’s appearance closely and asked,

“…Were you demoted?”

It wasn’t the uniform worn by a Squad Leader.

It wasn’t even the uniform of an Azure Dragon squad member, but the same uniform worn by ordinary soldiers.

“Were you put under disciplinary action?”

“That’s what happened.”

“Tsk. What a waste of talent.”

He was quite a spirited man for someone from Urgon, so I felt a sense of regret.

“So you were cleaning up. What kind of trouble did you cause?”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“If it wasn’t like that, why were you disciplined? Is Urgon crazy?”

Looking into the man’s eyes, I instantly grasped the whole situation.

“Was it because of me?”

“Honestly, I don’t know for sure.”

That’s what it sounded like. I glared at the man and said,

“Hey, Azure Dragon Squad Leader.”

“Just call me Cliff.”

“Since we’ve met, let me ask. Did you accurately report what happened that day?”

Cliff, who was looking around, met my eyes and said abruptly,

“Let me ask you first.”

As we looked at each other, I finally realized why Cliff had run away.

“You deliberately came this way. You weren’t running away.”

He had lured me to a secluded place where no one could eavesdrop.

Perhaps he had been waiting for me for days.

“What exactly is the relationship between Samael and Urgon?”

I nodded.

“That’s a very important question. Is that related to why you were demoted?”

“Probably. I didn’t know the higher-ups would reprimand me to that extent. It was the first time I saw them so angry. I clearly reported everything as it happened, but for some reason, they didn’t believe me. Even now.”

“They didn’t believe in my skills?”

“That Samael secured a loan, and everything. They kept asking if the Red Magic Tower was behind it.”

“I guess they thought it was impossible with just our strength.”

Indeed, from the perspective of someone who doesn’t know the Crazy Mage, it would be strange to think otherwise.

It seemed that Urgon was still concerned about the Red Magic Tower.

“I kept telling them. I said many times that the Azure Dragon Squad couldn’t handle you. But in the end, they doubted me. They thought there was a traitor among us. It seemed like it was because I returned unharmed. Anyway, I disobeyed the order to support Bayern.”

“You weren’t alone, and your subordinates saw it too. They still didn’t believe it?”

“That’s how the Azure Dragon Squad is treated. It’s because they have the wrong Squad Leader.”

I suddenly remembered Kant saying that Cliff had a bad reputation.

“It seems your social skills are quite lacking compared to your abilities.”

“Even so, I don’t understand why the higher-ups are so sensitive about such a trivial matter. I was even imprisoned in an underground cell. At first, I tried to clear up the misunderstanding, but as I thought about it, it wasn’t. It wasn’t a trivial matter from the beginning.”

Cliff unconsciously clenched his fist.

“They only released me after sending someone to Khaoto and confirming it. Even then, the reprimand continued…”

I suddenly interrupted Cliff.

“Wait.”

“Why?”

“They sent someone to Khaoto?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t remember seeing any strange guy in Khaoto. If there was someone snooping around Samael, I couldn’t have missed them. Even if I did, the patrol or guards would have caught them.

“Are you sure? Who?”

“I don’t know who it was. But it’s certain. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been released. If I hadn’t been released, maybe…”

Cliff grimaced and swallowed the rest of his words.

“Anyway, it seems you were waiting for me.”

“I have a personality that needs confirmation to be satisfied.”

“Then why didn’t you just come to me?”

“I might have been suspected.”

I looked at Cliff and shook my head.

“You have great loyalty. To still be attached to Urgon after being treated like that with your abilities.”

“Just answer me.”

Contrary to his words, Cliff seemed somewhat oppressed. I thought about it and said,

“Do you know that Urgon attacked Samael?”

“I know that it happened in the past.”

“Why?”

“I heard it was a thing of the past. I know there were a lot of power struggles back then. I don’t know the details.”

“What do you mean a thing of the past? They subtly targeted Samael using the Hamad Merchant Group and even Bayern.”

Cliff looked at me.

“That’s why I’m asking. I’m sorry to say, but honestly, until recently, I didn’t even know about Samael. The higher-ups didn’t tell me anything in detail. But what is the relationship that makes the higher-ups so sensitive? What kind of bad blood is there? I need to know that.”

“So even you can smell something fishy.”

A foul smell permeated the air.

It felt like being inside the mouth of a wicked snake hiding its true intentions.

I looked into Cliff’s eyes and said,

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

Looking into his eyes, I said once more,

“That’s right. I don’t know, and Samael doesn’t know either. No one on our side knows.”

“…”

“I’m curious about the reason too.”

As we looked at each other, Cliff let out a low, hollow sigh.

“I see.”

Cliff turned around dejectedly.

“I think I should go now. I’ve been away for too long.”

I nodded and replied,

“Let’s have a drink together next time.”

Cliff, who had walked a few steps away, turned his head and said,

“Be careful, Crazy Mage Squad Commander. There was an order not to touch Samael until the banquet was over. I don’t think it’s meant in a good way.”

“I already know.”

After a moment of silence, Cliff said,

“Tomorrow’s dinner will be the last.”

“That sounds like they’re going to reveal their true colors soon. Thank you.”

Cliff disappeared in an instant without a word.

Since it was late at night, I turned back and headed to the annex.

As soon as I arrived and opened the door, Taylor, Blair, and Arin were staring at me with serious faces.

“Whoa, shit. You scared me. What are you looking at?”

“Where have you been?”

“What are you doing in someone else’s room? I’m tired, so go away.”

The three of them glared at me. I could understand Taylor and Blair, but it was strange to see Arin glaring at me too.

“You told me to wait.”

I looked back and forth between the two and Arin and clapped my hands.

“Ah, right.”

“Hurry up and explain.”

I briefly summarized what I had learned from infiltrating the Ardehains and my meeting with the Azure Dragon Squad Leader a while ago.

The three seemed somewhat surprised, but since they had all anticipated Urgon’s ulterior motives to some extent, they weren’t afraid.

* * *

The next day, the sun was shining brightly.

As expected, the atmosphere in the arena was completely different.

Everyone seemed to sense that the duel was coming to an end.

Most people were looking back and forth between the Urgon side of the audience and ours.

Today, instead of the External Affairs Officer, Patriarch Balkan himself stood up from the head seat and drew attention.

Elder Parin, Celestine, and the mysterious woman all focused on Balkan.

‘That man didn’t come today either.’

The Ardehain man I saw when I infiltrated the main building was nowhere to be seen.

As everyone’s eyes gathered, Balkan opened his mouth with a smile.

“I wonder if you all enjoyed the banquet. I think we achieved meaningful harmony for a first banquet. It seems the duel has reached its final stage.”

Nods of agreement followed here and there.

“But we must decorate the finale. We must decide the final victor, mustn’t we? After watching the duel all this time, one family stands out. Considering the meaning of harmony…”

Balkan slowly turned his gaze towards us.

“I wonder how it would be if one person from our Urgon clan and one person from the Samael clan came out to compete as representatives.”

I met Balkan’s eyes with a glint in mine. Meanwhile, expectant murmurs naturally arose from the audience.

“I’m looking forward to it. Young Master Libre will come out from Urgon. Who should come out from Samael?”

“It must be Sir Taylor. Miss Arin and Sir Blair have already lost to Young Master Libre.”

“Wasn’t there one more person?”

“Ah, that crazy person? He has no chance.”

“That’s right. Sir Taylor should go out. It would certainly be a sight to see Sir Taylor and Prince Libre duel. If it’s Sir Taylor, Prince Libre might actually get serious.”

Balkan, who had been watching silently, nodded with a pleased smile.

“If there are no objections, let’s hold the final match tomorrow. How about having a friendly duel today? It would be good for those who have regrets about the previous duels. Or, even if you’re not a junior, anyone who wants to duel, regardless of their status, can come forward comfortably.”

“…”

No one stepped forward.

For a moment, I considered going out and challenging Balkan, but I held back, thinking it wasn’t the right time yet.

At that moment, Libre once again flew into the arena. Seeing him step forward at every opportunity, I realized this guy was also quite the attention seeker.

Libre, having arrived at the arena, looked this way. I could now tell who he was going to challenge just by the expression on his perverted face.

Judging by his vengeful, puppy-like expression…

“I request a duel with Ruin of Samael. I heard you were disappointed that you were never challenged, so I’ll give you a chance today. If you’re not a coward, come out boldly.”

As soon as Libre finished speaking, I replied,

“I refuse.”

“What? But yesterday you…”

I interrupted Libre and replied,

“Shut up. I’ll see you at the finals.”

There was a brief silence at my confident answer, and then laughter erupted from the audience.

“Hahahahaha.”

Everyone expected Taylor to be my opponent in the finals, so they thought I was scared and making excuses.

Libre, who instantly changed his expression to a polite one, now looked at the head seat.

“I request a duel with Sir Goisen, a formal disciple of the Blue Magic Tower.”

The laughter from the audience stopped, and everyone’s attention focused on the head seat.

Elder Parin nodded once without any particular restriction, and the mage who had been lined up in the back flew into the arena.

‘So this is why Balkan was going on about a friendly duel.’

* * *

A sharp exchange followed.

Facing a formal disciple of the Blue Magic Tower, Libre showed his skills as if he had made up his mind.

It was a different situation from the previous matches.

When the 5-star beast magic collided head-on, a large splash of water erupted continuously in the arena.

Saaaa—

Perhaps the position of a formal disciple in the Blue Magic Tower was significant, as everyone was surprised once again that Libre wasn’t being pushed back.

Elder Parin showed interest in Libre for the first time, and Balkan looked at Elder Parin with a satisfied gaze.

Meanwhile, I continued to analyze Balkan’s energy flow.

From the beginning, all this nonsense about friendly duels and finals was just a secondary issue. After analyzing countless possibilities, it was highly likely that the core issue would be whether or not I could comfortably handle Patriarch Balkan.

Faaang—

A loud roar rang out while I was deep in thought.

Snapping out of my thoughts and looking at the arena, Libre and Goisen had landed at either end and were facing each other.

“I think this is enough.”

“I’ve learned a lot, Sir Goisen.”

Applause erupted from the audience. Balkan also got up and applauded with a smile.

“It was a splendid duel befitting a friendly match. Is there anyone else? Anyone will do.”

No one spoke.

Then, as if he had a plan prepared in advance, Balkan opened his mouth.

“If there’s no one else, it would be nice to see a demonstration of some of the magic from our Urgon’s Red Phoenix Division and Azure Dragon Division.”

‘What a load of bullshit.’

Balkan stopped speaking mid-sentence. I wondered for a moment if I had voiced my inner thoughts again, but this time it wasn’t me.

Balkan was looking to the right with an uncomfortable expression.

“…Do you have something to say?”

The woman sitting at the right end of the head seat spoke.

“I want to duel too.”

Celestine looked at me.

———-