“Alright, Sword Saint, you’ve said so much. Is it not just to prove your usefulness?”
The King flared up in anger, smashing the wine glass in his hand against the floor.
“Our Human Race now has a better helper who can completely replace you. Furthermore, he requires no compensation from me. He is essentially a free bodyguard for the Human Race.”
“A better helper? A free bodyguard?”
“That is right. Our Human Race now has a figure comparable to you, Sword Saint… no, someone even stronger than you. I have already witnessed his power. He alone is enough to handle the task of clearing out magic creatures.”
Zhu Qiu’s mind struggled to process this.
Setting aside who this person was, the King said “one helper”? Meaning just one person? It was inherently difficult for a single person to face so many magic creatures, and he wanted no reward?
‘Is the King not afraid he might just run away?’
“Your Majesty, are you certain this person you speak of can protect the Human Race for a lifetime?”
Zhu Qiu continued to press.
“I am certain. For he is the President of the Human Mage Association, Dinksway.”
“The President of the Mages Association? Dinksway?”
“Never heard the name before, have you? Your method of relying solely on physical force to fight is outdated. The Human Race is about to usher in the Age of Magic. Not only that, but Dinksway has already assembled a team of human Magicians under his command. Once they have developed, our Human Race will not only solve the problem of magic creatures once and for all, but we can also conquer the surrounding countries one by one to achieve the goal of global unification.”
The King stood up in excitement.
“I believe that Dinksway will not disappoint me. That day will come very soon.”
Listening to the King’s words, Zhu Qiu fell into a brief silence before looking up again.
“Once they have developed? How long will this development take?”
“That is not for you to worry about. Dinksway can handle it.”
“Then, Your Majesty, do you mean to say that you no longer need me?”
“No, no, no, no. You are being imprecise. It is not that I no longer need you; it is that the Human Race no longer needs you.”
The King walked down the steps one by one until he stood before Zhu Qiu.
“Sword Saint, your mission has ended. You may retire. But do not worry, out of respect for the help you gave us in the past, we will provide you with a small pension to ensure you do not starve to death.”
Between the lines, the King clearly wanted to knock her down from her position within the Human Race to make way for that Magician named Dinksway.
In truth, Zhu Qiu did not care much about her status. The key issue was why this Magician named Dinksway had suddenly stepped forward to help.
Back when Zhu Qiu’s strength was not as great as it was now, she had requested help from the President of the Mages Association regarding the magic creatures.
She had asked him to send even a few capable Magicians to assist.
But what happened? Not only did they kick her out, but they also explicitly stated that swordsmanship was trash and was not worthy of fighting alongside Magic.
In the end, she had not even learned his name.
Ultimately, it was only after several residents stepped up voluntarily that the wave of magic creatures was resolved.
In her memory, this guy was a stingy, selfish miser who would not even step out of the Mages Association building. He was rarely ever seen in person.
‘And the King believes this guy’s words? Is the King a total fool?’
“Oh, that is right. I remember you once successfully defeated an Evil Dragon, correct? This glorious feat is known to the entire Human Race. For this reason, I specifically sent people to other countries to consult relevant records. Only then did I learn that there is more than just one Evil Dragon. They are an entire race. That single dragon you defeated is nothing special.”
“In the near future, Dinksway will surely be able to take down the entire Dragon Race as well.”
“Your Majesty, do you not think this Dinksway is strange?”
Zhu Qiu voiced her suspicions bluntly.
“This man never shows his face, no news about him ever circulates, and he refused to help in the past. Yet now, he suddenly takes action? Do you not find such behavior suspicious?”
“Suspicious? I do not find it suspicious at all. Dinksway simply saw that the Human Race was in danger and stepped in to help.”
“Then why did he not help before? Why was I the only one carrying the burden?”
“He surely had his own difficulties and inconveniences. Besides, did we not have you back then?”
“No, it was fine when he did not act because I was there? Now, I have only been away for two months and have not cleared any magic creatures, and just because he helped this once, you no longer need me?”
“I told you, it is not that I do not need you; it is that the Human Race no longer needs you. Besides, Dinksway is stronger than you now. What right do you have to be compared to him?”
Hearing the King say that Dinksway was stronger than her, Zhu Qiu finally realized the situation.
The King had no intention of continuing her employment at all.
“Your Majesty, Dinksway’s motives are questionable, but I have served the Human Race with all my heart! Moreover, I have protected the Human Race for so many years. Do you truly have the heart to do this?”
Zhu Qiu stated her position one last time.
“Your protection of the race is a thing of the past. Also, stop slandering Dinksway. Instead of slandering him like this, why do you not go to a neighboring country to learn more magic? Perhaps when you return from your studies, you might be able to challenge him.”
“How about this? I will go and apply for you right now to send you to another country to study. Hahahaha!”
The King laughed, a very greasy sound.
“I forgot to mention, the kingdom is currently short on land. Due to various issues, we cannot expand outward for the time being. I think the plot of land where your house sits is quite nice.”
“Your Majesty? What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. This is for the sake of the Human Race. Surely the Sword Saint would not refuse?”
Zhu Qiu’s face turned ashen. She finally understood. The King was a total ungrateful wolf.
Not only did he want to wipe away all the merit she had earned protecting the Human Race over the years, but he also wanted to demolish her home and kick her out.
“I do not agree! As the Sword Saint, I have protected the Human Race for so long. If, in the end, I do not even have a house of my own, I… I…”
“What do you intend to do, Sword Saint?”
“I…”
Zhu Qiu did not know what to say. It was impossible for her to do anything that would harm the Human Race.
“See? Deep down, you still agree.”
The King glanced at the guards on either side, turned back toward the throne, and said, “Someone, see our guest out.”
“Your Majesty! You cannot do this!”
Seeing the guards on both sides gradually closing in on her, Zhu Qiu had no choice but to leave the Palace in a daze to avoid being touched.
‘This is infuriating! How could the King treat me like this? I am a Sword Saint, after all! How can he drive me away just because of some Magician?’
As much as she fumed, Zhu Qiu had no recourse.
She could not harm the Human Race, and if she did anything even remotely related to harming them, the King would surely broadcast it far and wide, eventually ruining her reputation.
She was truly fed up.
‘Forget it. I should go find where those magic creatures are first and, while I am at it, go meet this Magician named Dinksway.’