Swordsmanship Genius Sees the Future

Chapter 50 - A Night Out Together (3)

The Vice Cult Leader's meditation room was built on a slope near the village.

"What troubles you?"

Pawel asked as he entered the meditation room.

The Vice Cult Leader looked at the masked man and asked in return,

"Why do you ask? Do I look troubled?"

"No, not at all."

"Then?"

"I just guessed, hearing you'd come here. Haven't you always visited this place alone to meditate whenever something difficult happened?"

"I can't hide anything from you."

The Vice Cult Leader laughed softly, shaking his head.

"You really see right through me. I'm glad I entrusted White Hand to you."

"Has there been a problem with him? Has something gone wrong with the production of the Hundred-Year Poison…?"

"That's not it."

The Vice Cult Leader quietly shook his head.

"The Poison King has accepted his new role I'm just grateful, that's all. Even now, he's energetically refining the Hundred-Year Poison. We've already delivered the necessary amount to the site, and yet he keeps at it."

"That's right. The matter is now in the hands of those on the ground. My subordinates, who are embedded in Bryce, along with Grand Protector Toryu, who has newly joined the operation, will ensure its success."

"I believe that as well. Everything has gone according to plan. But still…"

The old man reached out and gestured in the air.

"I can't see it. That's why I feel uneasy."

"If you mean 'it'… are you referring to your visions of the future?"

"That's right. Isn't today the day of the operation? But the visions I usually see aren't coming to me as clearly. Of all days, why today?"

Pawel silently scanned the room.

Certain there was no one around, he finally spoke.

"Didn't you once say that even your Celestial Vein sometimes becomes clouded? Maybe today is just one of those days."

The fact that the Vice Cult Leader could see the future was known to only a handful within the Cult.

The Vice Cult Leader let out a sigh and shook his head.

"That's not it. Even though my Celestial Vein isn't fully open… at the very least, I could always see that one thing clearly—the vision of what would happen tonight. That was all I ever wished to see. But now, everything is suddenly obscured and blurry."

"I'm not sure I fully understand what you mean… Someone like me probably isn't meant to grasp things like this."

"To be honest, I don't really know, either. How should I put this… It's like hearing the faint screams of thousands of people, so small, yet coming together into a cacophony—almost as if it turns into background noise."

"You mean that noise is clouding your vision of the future?"

"That's one way to put it. It feels as if something else is overlapping with what I see… No, perhaps my Celestial Vein has simply gone dry."

"Can the Celestial Vein dry up?"

"The Celestial Vein itself is boundless. It's just that I am the one drying out. But if that's not the reason…"

The old man murmured softly, as if something had come to mind.

"Perhaps it's because this is the end. There's simply nothing left after this. The end of the world… Yes. That moment has already been set. If that's true, how joyous would that be…"

"Vice Cult Leader?"

"Or maybe, could there be someone interfering? If there's someone like me, witnessing the same vision… from a different direction, seeing things from another perspective…"

***

Late at night, when I stepped outside, I could hear frogs croaking.

Approaching a puddle and crouching down, I found myself locking eyes with two frogs.

"Did I wake you up?"

Their croaking seemed to say yes.

Even with just the two of them, the puddle looked full.

The green poison frog Antoarica. And the spotted poison frog Blanchua, with a green body and black speckles mixed in.

They must have become fast friends, huddling close together.

In two days, Froggy and Phil would be moving into the dormitory, so it would be time to expand their home.

That meant tonight was the last night it would be safe.

The target was the Rutin Trading Company's herb factory.

That was where the Hundred-Year Poison was kept.

It was something I would need if I ever had to kill the Academy headmaster.

There was no telling when the chance might come, so I needed to secure it in advance.

"Sorry for waking you. Sleep well."

I gave my regards to the frogs and looked up at the sky.

Next to the pale half-moon, a crimson full moon hung.

In the middle of the night, the herb factory looked desolate and eerie.

Watching from a distance, a man sighed and spoke.

"I never expected them to be hiding in a place like that. They're truly bold."

The man's name was Byron Jusette was the commander of the Bryce Counter-intelligence Unit, whose primary mission was to eliminate spies operating within the city.

"The perimeter seems a bit thin. Is this all the manpower the Counter-intelligence Unit was able to muster?" asked another man standing beside him.

Jusette bowed his head in apology. "My apologies, Chief. We've been short-staffed since we assigned extra troops to the northern outposts."

"I heard about that. It sounds like the Poison King Family is making unusual moves," the man replied.

"Until reinforcements arrive from central command, we'll have to fill the gaps ourselves. If I may speak frankly… The garrison presence in Bryce needs to be much larger than it is now."

"I agree. It's not something I can change myself, though."

"Even just listening to my complaints, I appreciate it," Jusette replied, bowing his head once more.

"I also want to thank the Succession Bureau for their cooperation. I didn't expect you to come in person, Chief."

The man was Gric Serses, the Chief of the Bryce Succession Bureau.

As far as Jusette knew, he was the most powerful person in this city—not just in terms of authority, but actual physical strength as well.

"I was the only one able to come. All my subordinates are tied up with other tasks. Sorry for coming alone."

"No need to apologize, Chief. Just having you here is more than enough. But is something happening at the Succession Bureau?"

"A succession event has been scheduled in Clest. Six of them, all at once."

"Clest? Doesn't it have its own Succession Bureau?"

"It doesn't. When something comes up, the Bryce Succession Bureau handles it. Normally, it's not a big issue, since there aren't many succession rights holders in Clest."

"But now there are six events at the same time?"

"Amusing, isn't it?"

The Chief ran a hand through his long hair and gave a short, derisive laugh.

"Looks like someone wants me out of the picture here. I don't know what they're plotting while I'm not around… That's why I only sent my subordinates."

"And right in the middle of all that, I showed up and imposed on you. I'm sorry, Chief."

"Don't worry about it. Hunting spies is a serious matter."

The Chief smiled lightly.

Jusette bowed his head again.

"We received a tip-off recently, so we were able to pinpoint the enemy's hideout. There've even been rumors of Poison Disciples spotted in the slums these days. I thought it best to resolve this as quickly as possible."

"That was the right call, Captain."

"Thank you, Chief. After today, this city will be much cleaner."

As Jusette lifted his head, he gestured toward the twenty members of the team assembled nearby.

"They've all been sharpening their blades, waiting for today. I can promise they won't hold you back, Chief."

"I'm looking forward to it. When do we move in?"

"We start in ten minutes. As soon as we get the signal from the advance scouts…"

At that moment—

Thud.

A noise came from the direction of the herb factory.

Dust was rising from the roof of the factory.

"...Captain!"

One of the advance scouts, who had gone ahead, raised his hand to signal them.

Jusette frowned at the signal.

"They're saying something fell onto the herb factory."

"Fell? From the sky?"

"That's right. A huge, unidentified mass…"

Crash!

Another deafening boom echoed from the direction of the factory.

Jusette immediately drew his sword and shouted.

"The enemy's noticed us! All counterintelligence units, move in! Begin the operation! Charge—don't let a single one escape!"

***

In the middle of the night, while everyone in the dormitory slept, Eunice got up from her bed and gazed at the mirror on the table.

"...."

In the mirror stood a gloomy-looking child.

A ghostly girl with a blank expression stared back at her.

All she could see on the face were sharp lines.

Sharp eyes, a sharp nose, and a sharp mouth.

If only her eyes were a bit bigger.

Maybe then, she could have mustered the courage to speak to her classmates just once.

How nice would that have been?

She might have at least one memory to look back on in her final moments.

But now, there was no more time left.

Eunice quietly slipped out of the dorm and began to walk.

Today.

Tonight.

She is swallowed by the ley line.

It's a major incident that shakes the ley line.

There was no doubt it would drag in not only herself but also the people around her.

That's why she had to go somewhere with no one around.

Wouldn't a classroom in the middle of the night be just right?

Arriving at the Class B classroom, Eunice sat down, rested her head on her arms, and lay face down.

Just like she always did.

As she did, the usual noise began to flood in.

—Aura! More aura!

—You have to sense the ley line! That's the only way to survive!

—Forget trance or whatever! Just throw yourself into it!

—You need aura to succeed!

—Why… why am I only this good?

—Is that person Chief Serses? I heard their aura is six-star, right? They must be insanely strong.

—Why is our child's aura so weak? This is impossible!

—Ley Line, please! Grant me strength!

—It can't be true! There's no way this is happening!

—I have to boost my aura no matter what! I can't let the family's honor fall to ruin like this!

—I'd rather die!

—We should just adopt an heir instead!

—No! This thing isn't my child!

The endless cries of human desire echoed on and on—even in the dead of night, people's wants never ceased.

That was what had tormented her all her life.

But tonight, it would be over.

She would soon disappear.

Into the ley line.

"Yawn…"

Drowsiness began to overtake her.

If only she could just fall asleep and never wake up again.

Please, let tonight be the end.

***

The test was a success.

I mounted the orb and soared high into the sky.

When I reached my target, I jumped off right there.

I couldn't do this before.

But now, with the orb having evolved further thanks to the potion, it had become possible.

Either way, things had gotten easier.

There was no risk of being discovered.

Of course, if I tried this in broad daylight, it'd cause a huge commotion, but it was the middle of the night, so it didn't matter.

The herb factory was a five-story building.

Boom!

I crashed through the roof and landed inside, but found nothing.

The spacious room was empty except for pillars and dust.

I'd have to go down.

But I didn't feel like looking for the stairs.

Now, I was a Poison Disciple.

The floor would corrode just from me standing still.

If I released a bit more poison here… Ssshhhhh!

A hole bored open beneath me, and I dropped automatically through it.

Thud.

Now I was on the fourth floor.

There was no one here either.

All I saw were dozens of podiums, each covered with thousands of herb roots.

I did the same thing one more time.

Sssssssssss!

There were people on the third floor.

"H-huh?"

"Uh?"

"There's a hole in the ceiling?"

"Who are you...?"

"P-please don't hit us. We've been working hard as ordered, even this late at night."

"Please let us go home..."

Something felt off.

There was no trace of poison in their scent.

Their eyes were sunken, and their movements awkward.

They seemed like slaves forced to work after being captured.

Is the Cult of the Poison King kidnapping people and forcing them to work?

"...Shh."

Everyone immediately mimicked my action and fell silent.

"Shh..."

Frightened, they did as they were told.

I'd been betrayed before after handling it like this, but that was something to worry about later.

For now, this was good enough.

As long as these people didn't get caught up in this any further, that was all I needed.

Sssssssssss!

I dropped down another floor.

Finally, the enemy appeared.

"Who's there! Who just broke through the ceiling...?"

"Gasp, G-Grand Protector?"

"Isn't that the Grand Protector? I could have sworn I saw you leave just a moment ago… Are you back already?"

"Why are you coming down from the upper floor…"

"Is the operation already over?"

"You reached the target that quickly... Wait, but you look a bit different somehow…"

These guys have got it wrong again.

It seems it's hard to tell Poison Disciples apart just by their appearance.

Weren't they calling me a Protector before?

Now I'm the Grand Protector?

That can't be a good sign.

It means the one they call Grand Protector actually came here in person.

That's dangerous.

I need to figure out what's going on…

But my body moved before I could think.

My fist.

My fist shot out.