Chapter 126
Kynda Reynolds, the Pirate Queen, caught the spear hurtling toward her neck with a casual flick of her hand.
"Hah," she scoffed, thinking it was utterly absurd.
The shaft of her spear, Luin, shimmered with dark blue mana—a strange, almost eerie mana that felt like a blend of the sea and darkness. It clawed at her palm, attempting to consume her, but she calmly clenched her fist, crushing the unruly force with ease.
"Mana really does take after its master," she remarked, her gaze landing on Caron, who had caused this madness.
No one in this world had ever dared to pull a stunt like this. The thought of throwing her own spear back at her was madness of the highest degree. It was the kind of lunacy only someone completely unhinged could entertain.
...Luin actually approved of him? the Queen thought.
The spear Luin had a will of its own. It allowed no one to wield it unless it deemed them worthy. Even knights who had reached 8-Star couldn't handle Luin without its permission.
And yet, the boy before her had not only wielded it, but had even thrown it back at her with remarkable skill. That could only mean one thing: Luin had accepted him.
It was an unprecedented situation in the Queen's lifetime.
"Caron Leston... you..." the Queen murmured.
Her mind replayed the breathtaking swordsmanship Caron had displayed moments earlier, conjuring hundreds of petals in a single motion. There was only one style of swordsmanship on the continent that matched that form.
Imperial Sword Form 7: Falling Blossoms.
She had encountered it long ago when facing off against knights of the Imperial Guards. But never—not once—had she seen it executed the way Caron had wielded it. Even if the Imperial Sword varied depending on the swordsman's individual traits, Caron's interpretation was entirely unprecedented.
"...Where did you learn the Imperial Sword?" she asked aloud, her voice heavy with disbelief.
Caron Leston was the grandson of Duke Halo, someone who was deeply entrenched in the traditions of the Oceanwolf Sword Arts. The Imperial Sword, by contrast, stood in complete opposition to the Ocean Sword Arts. They pursued entirely different ideals.
No matter how hard she tried to rationalize it, the Queen couldn't understand how he had mastered such a technique.
"That level of swordsmanship isn't something one can achieve by mere observation," she said. "It requires years of dedicated training, an achievement built over a lifetime."
Mana and swordsmanship followed different rules. While mana could be enhanced through elixirs and various methods, swordsmanship demanded nothing but time, effort, and unrelenting practice.
The skill that the seventeen-year-old Caron had demonstrated moments ago defied all common sense. His abilities, his character—everything about him was impossible to grasp.
The Queen recalled the reputation that preceded him. He's the continent's greatest prodigy?
She had heard stories of his exploits in Reben, the southern border city of the empire; stories of how he had single handedly infiltrated a regiment of elite soldiers and brought the entire knightly order of Reben to its knees. They had seemed too outlandish to be true, and she had never bothered to confirm them. But now, standing before him, she realized the truth.
Those rumors weren't exaggerated.
The label of "greatest prodigy of the continent" was a gross understatement for someone like Caron. To label him as a mere prodigy felt almost insulting. He had far surpassed that category—his very existence had outgrown it.
"Soon, your era will dawn," the Queen said, her voice brimming with pure admiration. The talent before her shone incredibly brightly.
"Remarkably impressive," she added, the words carrying the weight of a bygone era's master offering deference to the future.
Caron managed a strained smile, his voice tinged with exhaustion as he asked, "Are you going to hold back?"
The Queen drove her spear into the ground with a decisive gesture and nodded, then said, "A promise is a promise."
"I thought pirates didn't care about things like promises," Caron said.
"If I couldn't kill you in a single blow and also didn't keep my word, my reputation would be in shambles. And what would that make me? Just another common pirate?" the Queen replied.
The deadly aura surrounding her vanished in an instant. Despite being attacked by an insolent young upstart, there wasn't even a hint of displeasure on her face. Instead, she looked at Caron with something akin to amusement, as though she found the whole situation rather entertaining.
"So, you said you wanted to talk? Go ahead, let's hear it," she said, granting Caron the opportunity he had risked his life to secure. This wasn't a chance he could afford to squander.
The situation remained dire. His body was battered and bruised from just one attack. If the Queen changed her mind now, things could spiral into an even worse outcome. And yet, for some reason, Caron didn't feel all that uneasy.
The Queen is a greedy woman, he thought. And that, he reasoned, made her a calculating one as well.
"If you hadn't shown up, I was planning to kill them all," Caron began, his tone deliberate.
"Hmm, I do think you probably could've managed it," the Queen replied, her gaze flicking briefly to his surroundings. "I doubt this was the extent of your preparations. But what about that power? What exactly is it?"
She gestured with her chin toward Bessic, who was still locked in a frenzied battle with Edward. His eyes were wild, making him look completely unhinged.
Caron shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "Let's call it... Rabies. It's my secret weapon."
"That's a fitting name. Is it magic?" the Queen asked.
"Technically, it's a spirit," Caron answered.
"A spirit that spreads madness, huh? That's a damned troublesome spirit," the Queen remarked, letting out a thoughtful hum as she studied Caron's face. She wondered what this lunatic could possibly be planning to say next.
"I'd like to offer you a chance, Your Majesty," Caron said, his tone suddenly shifting to something more formal.
"What chance are you talking about?" the Queen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Withdraw all your forces now, and promise to never step into this forest again," Caron said.
The audacity of his demand was almost laughable. Though his words were polite, the message was little more than a veiled threat.
The Queen chuckled in disbelief and said in a low voice, "You really don't know your place, do you? Acting so bold just because I'm going easy on you?"
"Well, since you're already going easy on me, why not see it through to the end? Surely you don't think I'd say that without a condition?" Caron responded with a wry grin.
"Your nonsense is at least amusing, so I'll listen for now. Go on, keep talking," the Queen replied with interest, leaning in slightly.
"The reason why you're after the hatchling. Isn't it because you want to open Etyron's treasury?" Caron asked, his voice steady despite the gravity of his claim.
At those words, the Queen's eyes gleamed with greed. "You know more than you let on," she said, her voice carrying a dangerous curiosity. "Who told you about this?"
"Let me confirm one thing first," Caron replied calmly. "Is the treasury your objective?"
"For the most part," the Queen answered.
Kerra's assumption had been correct.
Caron gave a small nod before diving straight into the heart of the matter. "When the time comes, I'll open Etyron's treasury for you. The finer details can be discussed then."
The Queen's lips curled into a smile filled with intrigue. She said, "That sounds like you've already made contact with the hatchling."
"And if I have?" Caron replied, his tone steady and measured.
"You're underestimating my greed," the Queen said coldly. "I can just kill you here and take the hatchling myself, can't I?"
"That would be unfortunate," Caron began, grinning wryly before continuing, "since I'm offering you a rather generous deal."
"Negotiation only works when both sides are equal. Why would I bother when I can simply kill and take what I want? Why would I waste my time?" the Queen asked.
Caron's smile widened, taking on a bitter twist. "Are you sure you can handle the consequences?"
"You insolent brat," the Queen snapped. "My patience is not infinite."
Her voice was like a blade, sharp and threatening, but Caron continued to meet her gaze with an unwavering grin.
"If you refuse my proposal," he said, his tone turning deadly serious, "I'll destroy everything you've built. It might take some time, but I can promise you, it will happen."
"That's quite a story, but that's only possible if you can leave this place alive," the Queen said, her eyes narrowing. "But in my eyes... I don't see any way for you to escape."
"It might be hard to block your attacks," Caron admitted, "but I'm confident I can get out alive."
"And what makes you think—"
Before she could finish, the Queen sensed something hurtling toward her with incredible force. Instinctively, she swung her spear wide.
Clang!
A massive shockwave rippled through the air, slamming into her body. Through the haze, she caught sight of a man standing beyond her spear's reach. Recognition flashed in her eyes as she shouted, "Caron Leston! Is this your final move?"
The man on the other side of her spear smirked darkly and retorted, "If you're going to grow old, you should've done it gracefully. Bullying kids at your age? Even if I didn't know your face, your rotten personality gives you away, Kynda Reynolds."
"Kerra Acht," the Queen hissed, her voice laced with disdain. "I never imagined the Malevolent Emperor's dog would be hiding in a place like this."
"Good to see you're not losing your memory in old age," Kerra replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"So, you're the man the nagas spoke of. The one protecting the hatchling," the Queen said slowly, her voice hardening.
Kerra's lips curled into a sharp grin. He glanced back at Caron before turning to the Queen again, still smiling. "And I'm also his guardian," he added, jerking his head toward Caron.
"That boy," the Queen said, her voice tinged with realization, "is the grandson of Halo Leston. And you're still protecting him?"
"I've already lost him once," Kerra replied grimly. "I won't let it happen again. Does that answer your question?"
Without waiting for a response, he raised his sword and swung it without hesitation.
***
The clash between the two 8-Star fighters didn't last long.
"This feels like a losing deal," the Queen muttered, swinging her spear forcefully to push Kerra back. Clicking her tongue, she shifted her gaze to Caron. "If Kerra Acht was your guardian all along, why didn't you just call him from the start?"
Caron shook his head with a wry smile and answered, "I'm not stupid enough to show my trump card right away."
"Oh? That almost sounds like a personal jab," the Queen replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Glad it hit the mark, then," Caron said smoothly.
"You really don't let anyone have the last word, do you?" the Queen said, exhaling lightly as her gaze flickered between Caron and Kerra.
She had expected that the insolent brat would have something up his sleeve, but hiding a powerhouse like Kerra Acht was something that had caught her off guard.
This isn't good, she thought, frustration simmering beneath her calm exterior. From that arrogant brat to Kerra Acht, nothing was going as planned. Even now, her subordinates were falling in battle.
"So that explains it," she said. "The nagas told me that the spirits' power was stronger than anticipated. Etyron's hatchling has allied with the elves, hasn't it?"
Her guess was spot-on.
That was part of the reason why Kerra had joined the fight belatedly. He had taken Aqua to the roots of the World Tree, the safest place nearby. Indeed, Aqua's magic was currently dismantling the naga's abyssal spells.
The Queen thought about the 8-Star knight, the hatchling, and the elves. If the spirits continued regaining their strength, the tide of battle would turn, and it wasn't hard to see how it would end.
With that thought, the Queen's expression hardened as she looked at Caron and asked, "Did you really plan to kill all my subordinates?"
Caron nodded without hesitation and answered, "Of course. I intended to kill every single one of them. If it weren't for you showing up, I would've managed it. What a shame. If only you'd come a little later."
He held her gaze without flinching, and his words struck with a chilling sincerity. The Queen realized then that he hadn't been bluffing. This seventeen-year-old boy had genuinely intended to annihilate her men.
"Such malice," she murmured. "You're far too young to be this ruthless."
At that, Caron let out a derisive laugh. "Malice? I'd call it justice. Your men profit off the suffering of others—they deserve no better. If anything, I should be charging you for the effort."
His merciless demeanor, unyielding courage, and undeniable talent made the Queen smile involuntarily. She thought to herself, It's tempting.
Etyron's treasury paled in comparison to the greed now swelling within her.
In a low voice, she said, "Fine. I could consider pulling my forces back. But I want to make some changes to the conditions you proposed."
"Let's hear it," Caron replied.
"Choose one of two options: Promise me all the treasures within Etyron's treasury, or..." the Queen said, her spear's tip pointing at him. "Work for me for one year. Consider it a recruitment offer. You're suited for piracy, you know. If you agree, I could even promise you a place as my successor. Don't you think the vast southern seas are better than Azureocean Castle, crowded with jealous, scheming adults?"
It was an outrageous proposal.
The others' faces twisted in shock at her sudden offer, but Caron simply smiled faintly. In a cheerful voice, he said, "Just one question, Your Majesty."
"Go ahead," the Queen said.
A moment later, Caron dropped his bombshell.
"Have you gone senile, by any chance?"
To a mad dog like Caron, age was a meaningless concept.