Samuel led Lee Tae-seong straight to the building where Mortu Nocturn was staying.
“No reinforcements?”
“Wouldn’t you and I be enough?”
It was a place full of Mortu Nocturn’s elites led by Branch Manager Gederic.
For a Transcendent Expert like Samuel, it might be fine, but for Lee Tae-seong, his life would be hard to guarantee if a battle broke out.
Just looking at Gederic, he wasn’t a Transcendent, but he was known as a Peak Realm expert on the verge of Transcendence.
Lee Tae-seong cursed Samuel inwardly.
‘Enough’ was Samuel’s story; Lee Tae-seong figured his chance of death was at least 50%.
Unaware of Lee Tae-seong’s inner thoughts, Samuel calmly approached the gatekeeper.
“Hey there. I’m Samuel, the Blue Dragon Knight Commander. Is Branch Manager Gederic inside?”
“Greetings. Did you come by appointment?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Hmm. Then please wait a moment. I’ll go deliver the message.”
No matter how much Mortu Nocturn was a major Unorthodox Faction, they couldn’t treat Samuel lightly when he came in person.
The gatekeeper quickly ran inside the building.
And a little while later.
“The Branch Manager has granted an audience. You may enter.”
“Thank you.”
Samuel nodded and entered the building with Lee Tae-seong, then walked up the stairs toward the Branch Manager’s office at the top.
“Oh my. The fortification hasn’t really progressed, has it? There wasn’t that much time either.”
Samuel looked around and admired.
“…Yes. That’s right.”
Lee Tae-seong nodded with a dark expression.
He too was continuously looking around while using True Sight, and he discovered traps installed every few steps.
Geomancy formations, embedded magic circles, and techniques following special laws were intricately intertwined.
They were quiet now because he was a guest, but the moment he became an enemy, the entire building would turn into a death trap.
‘It won’t be easy to escape either.’
Lee Tae-seong thought about how to escape but only felt that it wouldn’t be easy.
Arriving at the Branch Manager’s office after all those thoughts.
-Come in.
When he opened the door and entered, he saw Gederic working in his office.
He gave a slight nod to Samuel, then tilted his head at Lee Tae-seong standing beside him.
“What? Did you finally come to settle the grudge with the main sect? Coming to a death trap of your own accord. What a man.”
“……”
“Just kidding. Even so, you couldn’t do that with Commander Samuel beside you. Sit down. You too, Commander.”
Thinking that his joke had darkened Lee Tae-seong’s expression, Gederic pointed to the chairs in front.
“By the way, what brings you here?”
Gederic asked.
As a Branch Manager of Mortu Nocturn and a Peak Realm expert on the verge of Transcendence, even he showed courtesy to Samuel.
You have to act arrogant depending on the person.
He was also the current commander of the allied forces, and being reckless with a Transcendent Expert could get his head cut off.
“Has Mortu Nocturn joined hands with the Nameless Blood Cult by any chance?”
“…That’s too insulting a remark. Can you take responsibility for that, Commander?”
Gederic’s gaze turned murderous.
The friendliness he had shown was about to disappear.
At the violently surging aura, Lee Tae-seong unconsciously raised the energy of the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art.
That was how immense the murderous intent Gederic emanated was.
But Samuel calmly brushed it off.
“This time, Lord Tae-seong here discovered Deputy Branch Manager Luban doing something suspicious.”
“…Luban? Please tell me in detail.”
Gederic glared at Lee Tae-seong with eyes that seemed ready to devour him.
His eyes seemed to say, ‘How dare you pull a trick on our Mortu Nocturn?’
Lee Tae-seong clenched his fist slightly, ready to strike at any moment, then calmly recounted everything he had seen.
Unexpectedly, Gederic simply listened quietly to Lee Tae-seong’s words.
After the story ended, Lee Tae-seong immediately prepared to draw his sword.
‘He’ll attack now, right?’
It wouldn’t be strange if he launched a surprise attack.
His goal was to endure just one blow and stay close to Samuel to overcome this crisis.
However…
“Then let’s go.”
Gederic stood up abruptly with a calm face. Lee Tae-seong asked back in surprise.
“What?”
“You said it yourselves. That Luban is suspicious. So I’ll take responsibility and check it out.”
“!”
*
It might be the same for any large faction, but Mortu Nocturn was especially an organization where rank and power determined treatment.
A powerful expert sat in a high rank and enjoyed tremendous power there.
Therefore, no one could enter Deputy Branch Manager Luban’s room.
Even the Branch Manager would be rude to intrude, so if he wanted to hide something, his own room would be most convenient.
-Crash!
Gederic personally broke the barrier spread across Luban’s door and strode inside.
“Search. I’ll look hard too. But if nothing turns up, you’d better be prepared.”
Lee Tae-seong couldn’t hide his surprise at Gederic’s behavior.
He had thought Gederic would attack him outright, but he was taking Lee Tae-seong’s side?
Samuel chuckled.
“It seems you’ve come to acknowledge Lord Tae-seong in your heart.”
“……”
Gederic didn’t bother to answer with words.
However, Lee Tae-seong had built up such remarkable achievements that even the hostile Mortu Nocturn would trust and listen to his words—to the point where they would doubt their own deputy branch manager rather than blindly trust him.
And the three began to quickly search the room.
It was large and spacious, befitting the deputy branch manager’s room, but they heightened their senses to probe.
Lee Tae-seong activated True Sight, Samuel used the keen intuition unique to a Transcendent Expert, and Gederic took out a scroll from his bosom and tore it.
The searching abilities thoroughly scanned the room, and not long after, they discovered various subtly hidden things.
“…So it was true.”
Gederic’s face turned grim.
One part of the floorboard under the bed was cleverly made detachable, and inside were a communication crystal ball and several unknown-looking materials.
It wasn’t directed to Mortu Nocturn headquarters.
It was hard to call this conclusive evidence, but at least it was certain that Luban was suspicious.
“Commander Samuel. I’ll say this in advance—this has nothing to do with Mortu Nocturn.”
“It seems so. If you were on the same side, you wouldn’t have found evidence here with us.”
Samuel acknowledged Gederic’s words.
Gederic had been afraid they might misunderstand that even Mortu Nocturn was a spy for the Blood Cult, but that was resolved, and he felt relieved.
“Thank you for trusting us. Let’s cooperate properly.”
After that, the three continued searching the room for more evidence.
*
“You’ve arrived, Deputy Branch Manager.”
“Yes. Good work.”
“Thank you!”
Luban patted the gatekeeper’s shoulder once and then entered the building.
His mood had been bad when he went out this morning, but now that he had successfully installed the Gold Blood Explosion formations all over Demenmark, it was the exact opposite.
A refreshing and light feeling.
The thought that he could activate the formation at any moment upon receiving contact and turn the city into a mess made him feel anticipation.
‘I wish that moment would come soon.’
Fireworks would erupt across the entire city.
First, he headed to the Branch Manager’s office to report his return from outside.
-Knock, knock
“Branch Manager. It’s Luban.”
-Come in.
At the voice from inside, Luban tilted his head slightly.
The Branch Manager’s voice was lower than usual.
‘Did something bad happen?’
Luban flinched as he opened the door and entered.
Samuel and Lee Tae-seong were sitting on the guest chairs.
It was strange for Samuel, who was always busy as the commander, to come to Mortu Nocturn, but it could happen.
Mortu Nocturn was one of the major factions, and he might have come to seek cooperation in future operations.
But Lee Tae-seong was completely out of place.
Even if he was the First Merit Holder in the recent war, he had a bad relationship with Mortu Nocturn, yet here he was in the Branch Manager’s office.
“Branch Manager. What’s the matter?”
“Luban. What relation do you have with the Nameless Blood Cult?”
“What relation? Obviously hostile. Aren’t those bastards public enemies that should disappear from the continent?”
Luban answered reflexively, but a chill ran down his spine instantly.
‘How…?’
This was a question that couldn’t be asked unless they knew he was a spy.
‘It’s a trap…!’
Only then did Luban realize that this place was set to snare him.
If he used Secret Arts, he might be able to shake off the Branch Manager and escape, but with Samuel here, escaping alive was impossible.
‘Then I need to find out how much they know about me.’
If it’s still only suspicion, he could clear himself of the charges.
After all, he was a Deputy Branch Manager of Mortu Nocturn and a Peak Level expert.
They wouldn’t dare punish him with mere suspicion!
“Surely you’re not suspecting me now? Do you know how loyal I’ve been to Mortu Nocturn, Branch Manager?”
“Then what is this?”
Gederic produced the communication crystal ball and various materials on the table.
Luban’s eyes wavered.
Then Samuel added,
“And the formations installed in the alleys of Demenmark. They were formations of the Nameless Blood Cult.”
In fact, they hadn’t yet identified exactly what formation it was, but hearing that, Luban involuntarily sighed.
“…Ha!”
Luban’s eyes reddened, and he whipped his head around to stare at Lee Tae-seong.
“You damned bastard!”
At the same time, he kicked off the ground and lunged at Lee Tae-seong.
With blood energy surging from his fingertips, he unleashed a claw technique, and Lee Tae-seong countered with the Flame Tide Wave Sword.
Flames and blood-colored energy clashed in midair.
“Hey! The Branch Manager and Commander are both here—why are you attacking me out of the blue?”
Lee Tae-seong asked, flabbergasted.
He had just been standing there quietly.
Was Luban picking on him because he seemed the easiest target?
“Shut up! What else could your presence here mean? You must have noticed something and reported it!”
“……”
At the sharp guess, Lee Tae-seong lost his words.
He spoke as if he had witnessed it from the side.
“Hmm. That’s accurate.”
“To be a spy, one would need that level of insight.”
Beside him, Samuel and Gederic nodded.
“Don’t just watch—help me!”
Lee Tae-seong frowned.
He didn’t know what these people were doing, spectating from across the river!