Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 70: Departure

Late afternoon in the northern grand duchy of the capital of the Rob Empire, Pontania.

In a small garden at the end of an annex, a young man was skillfully wielding a rapier.

With his black ponytail and a faded cloak, Shong was diligently training, sweating profusely.

Over the past year, his physique hadn’t changed much, but his body had become more toned, and his appearance had grown more imposing. However, his mischievous expression hadn’t faded.

Swish

The rapier darted through the air in an unpredictable pattern, as if it were alive.

But Shong wasn’t satisfied and pushed himself to go faster.

“Too slow!”

He bit his lip. Spending time with Karon had taught him one thing: his own weakness.

He had been on the brink of death several times, surviving only thanks to Karon’s help or by sheer luck from his cloak.

Since then, he’d made a decision—to grow stronger and protect himself, though the help of the cloak was still essential.

Though frustrated, Shong’s swordsmanship had improved immensely over the past year, reaching a level few could rival. The energy of the cloak played a part, though he was unaware of it.

“You’ve grown a lot over the past year.”

Just then, someone entered the garden, leaning on a crutch. It was none other than Grand Duke Decius, with his hair tied back neatly and a gentle expression on his face.

He dismissed his attendants and stepped inside.

“Greetings, Your Grace. It must be difficult for you to come all the way here…”

Shong quickly hid his rapier within his cloak, approached, and knelt down.

Decius frowned slightly.

“Stand up. Such formality is unnecessary.”

“Yes, then…”

Standing up, Shong bowed again and began with some flattering words.

“Truly, I don’t know how to repay such great kindness.”

“What kindness? I’m the one who should be asking you for a favor. As you know, the country is in turmoil due to the war with the southern continent. If you and Karon could deal with the Blue Raven Gang and save my daughter, I’d be the one in debt.”

At the Duke’s sincere words, Shong scratched his head and responded.

“No, Your Grace. Karon intended to chase them down anyway.”

“Oh, no need to be so humble.”

When the Duke insisted, Shong had no choice but to concede.

“Well… In that case, I’ll do my best.”

Shong’s quick shift in tone showed his readiness.

Then he seemed to remember something and asked the Duke.

“By the way, won’t Flora be returning?”

“Lady Flora will take on another mission after completing further training. Finding someone with the abilities of the Chakran tribe is no easy task.”

“That’s true.”

“She’ll join once her mission is over, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Haha! I’m not worried. She can take care of herself.”

When Shong spoke playfully, Grand Duke Decius frowned slightly.

“‘Take care of herself?’”

“Haha! Just a joke.”

At that moment, a butler entered the garden hurriedly.

“Your Grace, I have news that Lord Hinshan and Karon have just arrived at the mansion.”

“Oh! Is that so? Let’s go quickly.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

The Duke and Shong hurried out of the annex toward the main building.

Despite using a crutch, the Duke kept pace with ease, thanks to his strong physique.

They soon reached the drawing room, where Hinshan and Karon were unpacking their weapons.

“Karon!”

Shong called out excitedly, running toward Karon.

“It’s been a while.”

Karon greeted Shong in return, showing his delight.

Though his expression didn’t change, the fact that he greeted Shong at all was a big change.

“I’m glad you both made it safely! I was quite worried.”

“Thanks to Karon, the journey was easy,” Hinshan said as he briefly explained their trip from the Altun Mountain forest to the capital.

During this time, Karon and Shong exchanged stories about their experiences over the past year.

After Hinshan finished his account, the Duke turned to Karon and asked.

“A lot has happened, it seems. So, did you achieve anything over the past year?”

At that moment, everyone’s eyes were on Karon, concerned about his tone. Surprisingly, he spoke politely.

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Karon had learned some manners over the past year from Rhodes.

“Wow. Are you really Karon? Since when did you get so polite?”

Just as Shong was about to put an arm around Karon’s shoulders, he noticed a figure standing quietly behind him. Startled, he stepped back.

“Whoa, what the…! Who are you? How did you get here without a sound?”

Shong stammered in surprise.

Even Grand Duke Decius, who had been watching, was equally astonished.

“I didn’t sense him at all!”

Decius, known for his sharp instincts, hadn’t noticed Andrew’s presence. But he didn’t show his surprise.

Shong pointed at Andrew and asked Karon.

“Karon, what’s going on? Who is this?”

“That’s how it is,” Karon answered curtly.

Shong immediately turned to Hinshan for an explanation.

“Lord Hinshan, what’s this about?”

“Well…”

Hinshan, feeling uneasy, began to explain to Shong and Decius the story of how they ended up rescuing Andrew.

As the tale of what happened in the Count Fillmore territory unfolded, both Shong and Decius’s expressions grew increasingly grave.

“Hmm… So that’s what happened.”

“Yes. Count Fillmore will be escorted to the royal palace’s underground prison along with his subordinates.”

“I’ll have to see him myself. This is no small matter. We need to find out just how far Kolima’s influence has spread within the Empire.”

“Yes, indeed.”

While Decius and Hinshan discussed the situation seriously, Shong looked Andrew over and leaned forward to ask him a question.

“What’s your name?”

He asked as kindly as possible, but got no response.

“Do you have parents?”

Andrew continued to ignore Shong, staring into the distance.

“Are you mute? Can’t you speak?”

Shong, starting to get irritated, sneered at Andrew mockingly, which finally made Andrew glare at him.

“Why are you glaring at me like that? Don’t tell me…”

Shong looked over at Karon.

“Is he your little brother?”

Karon shook his head in exasperation.

“He’s not even your brother, yet he looks just like you. Especially with that attitude.”

Shong gave Andrew an exasperated look, then suddenly turned serious and asked Karon.

“That aside… You’re not planning on bringing him along, are you? We’re going after the Blue Raven Gang. We don’t know when danger might strike.”

“Don’t worry. He’ll stay here at the grand duchy. I’ve already arranged it with Hinshan.”

Hinshan, who had just finished his conversation with Decius, chimed in to support Karon’s words.

“Yes, that’s correct. Andrew will be staying at the grand duchy for the time being.”

Finally, Shong let out a sigh of relief. Andrew, on the other hand, looked a bit downcast.

“When do you plan to leave?”

“Tomorrow,” Karon replied without hesitation.

“Why not rest a bit more?”

“I’ve rested enough.”

“I see. Then, please wait a moment.”

Decius stepped out of the drawing room briefly to give some instructions to his butler.

“Where’s Flora?” Karon asked Shong as he looked around, sensing no trace of Flora.

Shrugging, Shong replied, “She’s still training, I guess. They say she’ll take on another mission afterward. She’ll join us later.”

“Got it.”

“Do you think the three of us can handle them?” Shong asked, sounding concerned.

Hinshan sighed briefly before answering, “There’s no other choice right now. Prince Merka is down south due to the war, and His Grace the Duke is still unwell. This situation only benefits Montecorato.”

“That’s something we’ll deal with once we capture the Blue Raven Gang,” Karon said nonchalantly.

Though Montecorato had nearly led him to death multiple times, Karon had no proof to take action against him now. Of course, Karon could silently approach and kill him if he chose to, but Montecorato had long since slipped from Karon’s focus.

“That’s true. By the way, what about contacting the peacemakers we met in Count Fillmore’s territory? They’re likely heading to the magical nation too.”

“I’ll consider it if we cross paths.”

“Understood.”

Hinshan nodded, accepting Karon’s decision.

At that moment, Grand Duke Decius returned.

“Here, take this.”

He handed Karon a pendant the size of half a palm, intricately and beautifully crafted.

“What is this?”

“It’s the pendant of our grand duchy. With this, you can visit any imperial bank in the cities and withdraw any amount you need. Use it freely.”

“I’ll only use it when necessary,” Karon replied calmly, though Shong, watching beside him, looked utterly shocked, his eyes widening.

A pendant from the grand duchy was practically an endless wallet.

“Feel free to use it; it’ll ease my mind.”

Shong shot Karon a fierce look as if threatening to cut ties if he didn’t accept.

Slightly embarrassed, Karon replied, “Alright. I’ll accept it then.”

“Sorry to burden you with such a difficult task. Hinshan will assist you as much as he can. For now, rest well. You’ll be starting a long journey tomorrow.”

Decius provided Karon and his group with the best rooms for a comfortable rest.

While Shong and Hinshan went to bed early, Karon sat quietly on his bed, spending the night in meditation.

Early the next morning.

After bidding farewell to Decius, the three of them mounted their horses and set off from the grand duchy.

They assumed Andrew had settled into his room in the annex the previous evening, enjoying his first real rest.

But

“Karon, what are you doing?”

Shong squinted as Karon suddenly stopped his horse and looked back.

Karon’s expression betrayed a hint of awkwardness.

“What’s going on? Ah! What the…!” Shong exclaimed, jumping back when he saw Andrew sitting behind Karon on his horse.

“When did… Are you a ghost? How did you know to cling on here? Did Karon bring you?”

“No.”

“Ha, this is seriously eerie. How did you get here? This is terrifying. I’ve never been this scared of a kid. Karon, you handle it.”

Shong shuddered, visibly unnerved. Karon glanced back at Andrew and spoke.

“Andrew, if any danger arises, we won’t have the capacity to protect you. You could die. If you’re fine with that, come along; if not, go back to the duchy.”

With his words bordering on a threat, Andrew, without hesitation, tightened his grip on Karon’s back.

Seeing this, Shong softened slightly with a trace of pity.

“Hey, why are you being so harsh? Kid, don’t worry. I’ll protect you,” Shong said, thumbing to himself with a wink.

Andrew grimaced and muttered under his breath, “Idiot.”

Then he turned his head in the opposite direction.

“What? What did you say? Huh?”

Shong’s blood pressure spiked.

Annoyed by the noise, Karon urged his horse forward,

and Shong chased after him, demanding answers from Andrew.

Hinshan, watching from behind, sighed and followed along.

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