Chapter 38: The Journey to the Empire, Section 9

Although Grand Duke Taro appeared confused on the surface, he was actually very clear in his mind. With Blackhair’s illness, whether intentional or not, he feared he would be in trouble.

The blond youth Farost and the assassin girl Tena were both outstanding individuals, but they were still young, and the Empire’s foundation was not yet strong. With Grand Duke Taro in charge, they would never dare act recklessly. But now, Blackhair’s sudden illness had pushed these three into a very awkward situation.

After all, they had come to the castle under the pretext of visiting Grand Duke Taro—there was no other reason. Normally, regardless of how serious Blackhair’s illness was, they should have left. But since they hadn’t completed their true mission, how could they be satisfied? Without truly communicating with Blackhair and trying to persuade him, how could they bear to leave?

But whether they wanted to or not, they actually no longer had any reason to stay in the Castle of Sighs. So, when Siget recovered, their departure would also leave a new threat for Grand Duke Taro.

Grand Duke Taro was well aware of the people behind those three. They were all powerful figures who dominated the Moor Empire. They wouldn’t be satisfied until they achieved their goals. Therefore, he was worried that they might bring even greater trouble after leaving.

And indeed, those troubles did not disappoint him.

On the seventh day of Blackhair’s treatment, a turning point occurred. His condition began to improve slowly but noticeably. His atrophied muscles regained a healthy color, and his blood flow returned. Although he still wasn’t at a healthy level, there was no doubt that his condition was stabilizing.

Blackhair explained that this was a characteristic of his old illness—unless he suffered a fatal blow during an episode, it would always improve gradually. Though terrifying, the illness was not fatal.

Coincidentally, as Blackhair’s condition improved, Siget, his opponent in the duel, also just emerged from his treatment chamber.

In fact, he owed his recovery to Blackhair. His injuries had been so severe that he could die at any moment. Even with immediate treatment, recovery would have taken a long time. But Blackhair’s serious illness prompted Grand Duke Taro to summon hundreds of medical experts. After failing to cure Blackhair, these experts naturally focused their efforts on Siget.

A broken neck, spinal damage, and extensive muscle strains throughout the body. These seemingly severe injuries would indeed be difficult to cure with fully automated medical facilities. But in the hands of these medical experts, they are hardly any kind of complex case. All that’s needed is an understanding of biological tissues and careful attention.

Thus, Siget’s injuries healed faster and more perfectly than expected. Even Kurokami hadn’t yet recovered from his illness. Siget stood before him once again, full of energy.

Examining the man in bed carefully, Siget noticed that his complexion was still somewhat pale. Although the Bor tribe members were generally robust, he was clearly an exception. Both his muscles and build were much weaker than those of ordinary Bor people. It was hard to imagine that such a seemingly frail Bor man could knock him down and nearly kill him.

Even though seven days had passed, and he had been asleep throughout that time, Siget still remembered clearly those iron-like arms that had tightly wrapped around him from behind. That strength—strength that could crush anything. Even he, who was always considered invincible, didn’t dare confront it head-on. Any resistance would vanish before such strength, not even a slight struggle…

Thinking of this, Siget casually moved his arms, and the muscles responded with their familiar strength. But he knew well—seven days ago, it had been his own struggles that caused those arms to have their muscles torn apart by the man before him.

All of this belonged to the man before him. Siget had been furious and unwilling to accept it. But when he saw the man now, for some reason, all his anger vanished instantly.

Strange illness, Lord Beck. Your unparalleled strength must stem from this, right? It is said that in this universe, certain races possess the ability to gain strength by burning their lives. Presumably, you’ve also acquired this skill. But such strength is unreal. Because it isn’t the result of hard work—it’s the product of cheating. I, Siget, don’t desire it!!

Slightly puffing out his chest, Siget’s mood improved instantly. He looked down at the man in bed with a proud, condescending gaze. After a long while, he finally grinned, revealing a hearty smile.

“Lord Beck. Have your injuries improved a bit?”

“Not bad, Siget. It’s already quite an achievement for me to be able to breathe. I have to say, fighting you in a duel is really taking a toll on me. I don’t know how many more battles I can endure.” Blackhair replied to Siget with a half-smile on the bed, his gaze falling on the figure behind him.

It was a young man with slightly pale skin but a straight posture. Blackhair was sure he had never seen this man before, yet he recognized him easily. He must be from the same place as Siget.

Because both of them carried the same fierce aura—unyielding, uncompromising.

Was this Siget’s guard? He had always prided himself on his strength; when would he need a guard to back him up? Blackhair pondered silently, showing no outward reaction. He simply watched the burly man in front of him quietly, waiting for him to speak further.

Blackhair knew. Siget would never come to see him for no reason. The saying “friends are made in battle” didn’t apply to these Moorish beasts.

Sure enough, Siget’s next words revealed his thoughts.

“Hehe, Lord Beck is indeed straightforward. It was my recklessness. I really didn’t realize Lord Beck had such abilities—converting vitality into strength. This duel has left Lord Beck bedridden, and I feel terrible about it.” The bald man laughed heartily, patting the attendant behind him.

“You’ve seen this guy too. He was sent by Father; he arrived just the day before yesterday. Father heard about what happened between you and me. He’s very pleased. You know, though Father is quite old, he really likes strong men. After hearing about your performance, he sent this guy to invite you to meet him. Let me make it clear, Beck—since you call me ‘brother,’ I won’t be polite. Father’s summons is a great honor.”

Father?? Blackhair’s brows furrowed. There didn’t seem to be such a figure in the monkey’s reports. But judging from Siget’s expression now… Wait, could it be him?

Ren-ō!! Ren-ō Shionai!!

A general who admired beastly instincts, known for never killing, extremely protective of his subordinates, and deeply loved by them—it was only natural he earned the nickname “Father.” In an instant, Blackhair understood Siget’s meaning and couldn’t help but laugh.

“But an invitation from General Shionai?”

“Of course! Besides my dad, who else in this universe would dare to ask for someone in front of the Grand Duke of Tarot? Speaking of which, my dad and the Grand Duke are old friends. Lord Baker, you don’t need to worry about the Grand Duke’s opinion—my dad has already talked to him. He’s inviting you and Miss Veri to go together. That’s because the Empire will hold its once-in-a-century competition in a few days. You’ve come at just the right time. The Grand Duke said that you and Miss Veri should attend this event together. He’ll be here soon.” Siget laughed heartily and gave a nod to the man beside him. The man stepped forward immediately and approached Black Hair, respectfully offering him a stone shard that glowed with golden light.

“Take a good look, Brother Baker. This is my dad’s golden name tag—unique in this entire universe. With this tag, you can travel freely anywhere in the universe. No one in the Empire will stop you. My dad has quite a reputation.”

Siget laughed proudly, and Black Hair could tell—it was pride, pride in having such great influence over his admirers. Compared to that Renwang, in his eyes, he must also be worshipped at a divine level. No wonder, with so many subordinates who worshipped him, that Renwang’s power must truly be immense enough to change the world. His desires, naturally, couldn’t stay still.

Black Hair reached out to take the name tag and nodded with a faint smile.

“Very well. Since Renwang has invited me, I, Baker, am honored. If the Grand Duke really has no objections, I will definitely arrive on time. By then, my health should be almost back to normal. I’ll have another drink with you then.”

“Slap!” Siget slapped Black Hair on the shoulder. “It’s settled then. I have quite a few underlings—I’ll introduce you to a few of them later. Brother Baker, since you’re also in the gray-market business, you’ll naturally need to interact with my underlings. If it benefits you in the future, I definitely won’t forget you.”

“That would be great,” Black Hair said with a bitter smile, his lips twitching slightly as he took a breath.

It hurt. Whether it was revenge or something else, Siget had used quite a lot of force. Although Black Hair could control his body to block pain, he still endured it obediently. It was a good performance—showing Siget respect.

Sure enough, seeing Black Hair’s pained expression, Siget laughed even louder. He nodded in satisfaction. After chatting with Black Hair a bit more, he left the room with the man.

Not long after he left, a thin figure appeared before Black Hair.

It was Miss Veri.

“Did you accept Siget’s invitation just now?”
“Mm.” The dark-haired man nodded. “He’s acting in the name of the Grand Duke; I can’t refuse.”
“Well, Father indeed approved of this. You did well this time—by defeating Siget, you brought honor to him as well. That’s why he decided for you and me to attend this competition.” Miss Veli nodded, her face expressionless, as cold as a stone slab.
“You might not be fully aware, but the Empire’s competitions are essentially talent exchanges. Father knows you’ve been facing some troubles lately, so he asked me to accompany you. I think you understand what this means, right?”
“Well… I’m not quite sure.” The dark-haired man pretended to be ignorant, answering nothing.