Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 39: Small Change (1)

Pontania. Colosseum.

Senator Montecorato, who was receiving reports on the progress of the festival preparations in his office, was absolutely furious.

The supply of slaves for the festival had been disrupted, and they hadn’t even met half of the target number.

“It seems the revolt in Bela is to blame….”

When the secretary trailed off, Montecorato threw his wine glass in anger and shouted.

“Dammit, what are the Imperial Guard and the army doing?!”

Slaves sent from Bela accounted for about 60% of those used in the Colosseum. Currently, the number of slaves arriving from Bela was unacceptably low.

The festival preparations were in serious jeopardy. This festival was crucial, not only for the emperor but also for high-ranking officials from other countries who were expected to attend.

This event would determine whether Montecorato’s status would rise or fall. For things to go well, Bela needed to return to normal as soon as possible.

“Who on earth started this revolt?”

The secretary looked through some documents before summarizing the report.

“According to reports, the two major factions in Bela, the Megamon faction and the Hinjo faction, were wiped out in a single day. As a result, smaller factions have started fighting for territory, and at the same time, all the prisoners held in the dungeon were released. A large number of slaves tried to escape the city, leading to the revolt….”

“That’s too perfect of a coincidence to be accidental.”

Montecorato muttered as he rubbed his sagging chin. Then, he asked again.

“Who wiped out the Megamon and Hinjo factions?”

“It wasn’t a group.”

“What?”

Count Montecorato furrowed his brow. The secretary responded with a slightly awkward expresShong.

“According to eyewitnesses, it was just one person.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’re telling me one person wiped out two major factions in a single day?”

“Yes. And there’s more than one witness. They say he looked to be in his late teens or early twenties….”

“Ha!”

Montecorato scoffed, leaning back in his chair. If there were multiple witnesses, it was likely true.

To wipe out two major factions at such a young age required not only combat skill but also an unconventional mindset. At that moment, a boy popped into Montecorato’s mind.

His eyes narrowed.

“What did he look like?”

“According to other gang members who saw the fight, he had curly brown hair and a scar on his cheek that looked like a knife wound.”

“What…? A scar?”

Montecorato was quite taken aback. He had forgotten about this until now.

The boy who had caused him significant losses and even humiliated him.

Perhaps it was natural to forget. After all, he had driven a sword through the boy’s body himself and believed him to be dead.

‘No, Batiahh clearly said he was dead. There’s no way that boy could be alive. I inflicted a fatal wound. It must be a coincidence. Still, just in case….’

After organizing his thoughts, Montecorato decided to check for himself with his own two eyes.

“Until Bela returns to normal, secure as many slaves as possible from other regions. Double the quotas. I’ll report this to the emperor myself and lead the army to Bela.”

“Are you going there in person, Senator?”

“Yes. There are only a few months left. We can’t just sit and watch.”

“Understood, Senator.”

The secretary bowed deeply and backed out of the office.

Montecorato stood by the window, gazing down at the Colosseum arena.

If that boy really had wiped out those two major factions, it meant someone had lied to him. Whether it was Batiahh or Prince Merka.

Montecorato chewed on his fingernail as he recalled the time he had met Karon.

It was a tenacious connection that resurfaced just when it was about to be forgotten.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace…

The rumors of the revolt in Bela had spread throughout the palace.

Prince Merka, who had learned of Karon’s whereabouts from Decius, naturally heard the rumors as well.

Karon had told Decius about two weeks ago that he was going to Bela, so the timing of the revolt was too perfect to be a coincidence.

“It must be his doing, right?”

The prince asked with a pleased smile as he received the report in his study. Eugenia replied stoically.

“We can’t be sure from rumors alone.”

“Think about it. It’s an unbelievable rumor. One person wiped out over a hundred gang members? Only he could pull off something so ridiculous.”

“When you put it that way, it does seem possible. What will you do now?”

“By the time I get to Bela, he’ll probably be gone. It’s better to send some people secretly around the area. This time, we’ll definitely find him. Who would be good? Someone reliable and capable… Ah, send Hinshan.”

“Hinshan?”

Eugenia looked slightly surprised before quickly hiding his expresShong.

“Understood, Your Highness.”

The prince had considered going to Bela himself but chose a different course.

It was too important a time to leave his position, not even for a moment.

Lost in thought for a while, Prince Merka stood up and leaned on the windowsill, looking outside.

“What could he be planning? After being sold into slavery, he helped the gladiators escape. Then he wiped out bandits and rescued slaves. Now, he’s turned Bela, a rotting city, on its head. He’s doing the things I always wanted to do. It’s fascinating, really. A boy who was once just a slave is doing more valuable things than I, a prince.”

Prince Merka said with a bitter smile. Eugenia quickly approached and replied.

“That’s not true, Your Highness. You’ve been accomplishing much greater things here in the palace. If it weren’t for you, the commoners of this empire would likely be in dire straits.”

“Thanks for saying that.”

“Now, shall we go take care of those bigger things? What time is my meeting with the elders?”

“It’s almost time.”

The “elders” he mentioned referred to the council of senior senators, composed of the oldest and highest-ranking officials.

The conservative, selfish people who raised their voices more for the nobility than for the commoners.

Today, once again, there was going to be a fierce debate with the young progressive senators over the reviShong of the slavery laws.

“Well then, let’s go.”

Prince Merka clenched his fists and left the study.

* * *

Karon climbed to the highest deck of the ship and stood in front of the railing.

From there, he could secure a wide view and make an escape in any direction.

Of course, being in the middle of the river limited his options for escape.

Suddenly, the vast river came into full view. The area was crowded with people who had gathered at the railing to catch a glimpse of the river.

Everyone marveled at the beautiful sight of the sun reflecting off the water, but Karon felt no change in his emotions.

‘What’s so great about it?’

Karon couldn’t understand the emotions they were feeling.

Not just that—joy, sorrow, excitement, anger. None of it could stir anything in Karon’s heart.

Was it a blessing? Or a curse?

Recently, a curiosity had started to emerge in him, something he’d never had before. But since he couldn’t experience it himself, he couldn’t find the answers.

Asking someone might ease his curiosity to some extent, but it wouldn’t be a fundamental solution.

Bwoooon-

While Karon was enjoying a rare moment of solitude, a loud ship’s horn snapped him out of his thoughts.

They had already arrived. It had been a long time since Karon had been so deep in thought.

Of course, he had never once relaxed his sensory field, which he had constantly kept active.

Karon’s long-held beliefs and values had started to waver because of the unfamiliar feelings and emotions he was now experiencing.

Just as he was about to disembark with a complicated mind, he noticed Shong, Justin, and the Miguel mercenary group waiting for him at the dock.

“Hey! Karon!”

“Karon, sir!”

Shong, the first to recognize him under his cloak, waved both hands enthusiastically.

He’s got sharp eyes. Looks like his hangover cleared up in the few hours since.

Then Karon saw Justin, jumping up and down while waving his hands.

For a brief moment, Karon’s stiff expression softened, then returned to normal.

‘Waiting so openly like that… I guess I have no choice but to go with them.’

Karon took off his cloak and disembarked. Step by step, he walked toward them.

Thankfully, they hadn’t left the village, so it seemed the Black Scorpion mercenaries hadn’t attacked yet.

“Did you catch them?”

At Shong’s question, Karon nodded indifferently.

“Who are they? Why were they after us?”

“Who knows.”

Karon didn’t bother explaining the people he had killed. He didn’t feel it was necessary, and he didn’t want to drag the conversation out.

Seeing him dodge the question, Shong instantly understood his intent. He also realized that Karon had already dealt with them, so he didn’t press further.

“It’s a relief you’re safe, Karon. We’re planning to take the lower road through the Mekler Mountains now. What do you think?”

Erect’s question made Karon fall into a brief moment of thought.

Taking the lower road around the mountains would add a few extra days to the journey.

Of course, it was safer and more comfortable, but Karon wanted to reach the capital as quickly as possible.

However, one thing was still on his mind.

The Black Scorpion mercenaries. They were probably still lying in wait somewhere, just waiting for the Miguel mercenaries to make a move.

“I’ll accompany you up there.”

“Huh? Really? Oh! That’ll make things so much easier!”

Shong reacted with excitement to Karon’s words. It seemed he wasn’t too keen on crossing the mountains.

He wasn’t the only one who welcomed the news.

“Wow! Karon is coming with us!”

“You’ve made the right choice, Karon. The mountains are far too treacherous to cross. We’ll make sure to take good care of you.”

Unaware that the Black Scorpions were targeting them, Erect smiled brightly and prepared to depart.

There wasn’t much to prepare, as everything was already set, and they’d just been waiting for Karon to arrive.

“Then let’s set off. Everyone, let’s go!”

At Erect’s command, the mercenaries began to move, with Linwood leading the way.

Karon mounted his horse and took one last glance at the ship he had arrived on before following the group.

As they left the village with the dock behind them, they saw the massive Mekler Mountain range towering to their right like a giant wall.

The peaks were so high that snow covered their tops, and the sight was breathtakingly grand and rugged. Of course, Karon wasn’t impressed.

While Karon gazed indifferently at the mountains, Erect approached him and spoke.

“Amazing, right? It’s one of the most famous mountain ranges in the southern part of the empire. It’s even more well-known for its beauty than the northern ranges. Plus, it’s rich in underground resources, so there are many mines around here. That’s why the roads are well-maintained. Though most of the path is uphill, you won’t find it too difficult to traverse.”

Karon listened silently to Erect’s words as he continued to ride. At the same time, he spread his sensory field as wide as possible, remaining alert for any potential ambushes.

However, all he sensed were wild animals; there was no presence that concerned him.

* * *

The mining village of Palen, located in the middle of the Mekler Mountains.

All the minerals extracted from the Mekler Mountains passed through Palen on their way to the capital or other large cities.

As such, it was a strategically significant location, and the imperial officials and soldiers stationed there were considerable in number.

In the center of Palen stood a long, two-story building.

It served as the administrative headquarters, handling all the tasks related to managing the mines.

Thud, thud.

A soldier, clad in blackened armor, walked down the hallway on the second floor toward the administrator’s office at the end. He knocked on the door.

“Everything is ready, Administrator.”

“Come in.”

A muffled, stifled voice leaked through the door.

As the soldier opened the door and entered, someone who had been staring out the window slowly turned their head to look at him.

A steel mask covered the lower half of their face.

It was none other than Batiahh, the leader of Tripolas, who had taken Karon to Palemon.

After the wound Karon had inflicted on his mouth became severely infected and disfigured, Batiahh always wore a steel mask, never removing it in front of others.

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