Edward met Ulmer and invited him straight to the dinner table.A magnificent dinner menu was prepared in less than an hour. More than a hundred items were served.“Did you prepare all these for me?” Ulmer asked.“This isn't much, Mr. Ulmer,” Edward smiled. He was a handsome blonde and looked young despite his age being in fifties. “When I heard that Rever was beaten, I didn’t believe it, but then I was told that you also rejected Dracarius’ request to join him. I know that Dracarius isn’t the type to just let go of anyone he could oppress. Since he has not done anything to you yet, even after you’ve given him a cold shoulder, I believe that you are strong. Probably in level eighties, I presume?”“I will not disclose my level,” Ulmer said. “I prefer to keep it a secret.”“That’s fine. We can already guess your level, but would you mind if we made you start with my personal knight Zebron? He’s at level 90.”Normally, Ulmer would have refused, but he was yet to fight someone at such a hi
“Minerva Brianne Craig…” Mirianne was talking with Ulmer while they sat on the balcony. “That’s her full name, but these days everyone knows her as Brianna.”“Were you both friends in the past?” Ulmer asked.“Not really. We just played together for a few days in the royal castle,” Mirianne said. “That’s all. I haven’t met her personally after that. She wasn’t even in the picture of the race to the throne, so it’s very surprising that someone like Dracarius wants to support her now. Just what did he see in her for him to change his mind and be her aide? It is very baffling.”“We can’t read people’s hearts, so we can only judge them by their actions,” Ulmer said.“That’s right.” She smiled. “By the way, don’t think wrongly of me for asking this, but… do you still have those energy crystals?”Ulmer nodded a little.“Can you sell them to us?” she said. “We’ll pay a fair price, of course.”Ulmer appreciated that she was straightforward instead of doing unnecessary things. “I’ve eaten your
That afternoon, Zebron didn’t arrive at the estate yet, so the duel was postponed to the next day.This gave Ulmer free time to roam around the city.However, Rever was sent with him as an escort.“Why are we walking on foot?” Rever asked.“Do you want to walk on your hands instead?” Ulmer asked him back.“That’s not what I meant, Mr. Ulmer,” Rever said. “You know what I meant.”“I want to view this city,” Ulmer replied. “It’s aesthetically very pleasing.”To Rever, it looked normal because he was born here.Both Ulmer and Rever were wearing normal clothes because Ulmer didn’t want Rever to wear his knight gear as he’d stand out too much.Ulmer wanted to roam peacefully, so both of them were wearing goggles right now. Rever even had a hat on, saying he doesn’t like dirt getting into his hair.Ulmer first stopped at a toy store and bought spinning tops and walking robots and so on.“Who are you buying these toys for?” Rever asked him.“My sister,” Ulmer said.“Oh…” Rever didn’t have si
Ulmer made his way through the crowd and reached the shopkeeper who was on the ground and was bleeding badly from her mouth. He stopped down to her level and gently put his hand on her shoulder.The shopkeeper looked at him confusedly, not sure if he came to help her or hurt her some more. But his touch felt very gentle.“Mm?” Monroe looked at Ulmer. “Hey, what are you doing? Is she your bitch?”Ulmer, however, was looking at the shopkeeper. “God helps those who help themselves, lady. He doesn’t necessarily help those who don't even help themselves. If you know you can’t fight against them, then you should at least run away and live somewhere far away from these monsters. You can just enter a jungle naked and expect the mosquitoes to stay away from you just because you prayed to God. That’s not how God’s grace works. You can’t take it for granted.”“What nonsense are you spouting, brat?” Monroe annoyedly said. “State your identity right now, or I’ll deem you a threat and arrest you.”
At Ayana’s house.Ulmer’s clone was sleeping on the floor.When Ayana woke up that morning, he asked her, “Why can’t I sleep on the bed?”“Because you’re not my husband,” she said. “You’re just his clone.”“I’m part of him, though.”“Clones aren't the real thing,” she said. “I know that much.”“If you hurt me, he’ll be hurt, too,” Ulmer’s clone said. “After all, he can also feel what I feel.”“Then he should just come back home quickly instead of making me talk with a clone,” Ayana said.Ulmer’s clone’s shoulders slumped as she left the room. “It’s so hard to convince her. She reminds me of my sister in this regard.”Ulmer’s biological sister, Kristy, was a busy girl. She mostly cared about her own things and did not have interest or time to spend with her elder brother, even though he was always willing to spend some time with her, and tease her, or make her laugh and such.Kristy used to be a good girl, but as she grew up, she took after her parents. Because they didn’t treat Ulmer
Later that night.Zebron returned to the Foster estate. Edward was waiting for him in the hall while drinking wine.Seeing Zebron’s expression, Edward sighed, “To think so many of the knights together couldn’t catch him… Just who the hell was he?”Zebron sat opposite to Edward. Even though he was Edward’s knight, they were both friends who grew up together. Because there was no one around, Zeborn didn’t care about the formalities.Edward poured some wine to his friend.“Thanks,” Zeborn picked it up and took a couple of sips. “Huh, we couldn’t find a single thing about him. Not his name. Not his motive. Not even how he looks. He’s a complete mystery. All that we know is that he wears a dove mask that covers his eyes. That’s all.”“Dove mask? Isn’t that a famous mask that’s used during the Peace Festival every year in our country?” Edward said.“Yeah, that’s the problem. It’s a common mask,” Zeborn said. He had masculine features and had a combination of black, gray, and white hairs on
The next morning.Ulmer woke up, and he could hear his clone complaining to him from Ayana’s home. “Dude, just shut up,” he ordered the clone. “You’ve been irritating me for hours now. If she doesn’t let you touch her, then that’s that. Why are you upset about it?”“If I’m upset, then you’re also upset,” the clone said.“Yeah, you’re right, but I’m not as upset as you are,” Ulmer said. “Besides, you’re just a clone. Why do you want to touch her? Are you crazy? Just do your job and be there. Help them if needed. That’s all.”“I know, but… when I see her, I feel something in my heart…”“Don’t give me that love crap,” Ulmer snorted. “I feel more than you feel, alright?”Ulmer’s clone bickered. “No, you don’t.”“Yes, I do.”“No, you don’t.”“You know what? I won’t even argue with you,” Ulmer hissed. “So just shut up. Don’t make me yell in the morning. It will totally ruin my dad.”He then ended the conversation with the clone.“Sheesh, what a headache this clone is turning out to be,” Ulm
Ulmer and Zebron’s gazes met.“So, you’re one of the lions of Syslon, huh,” Ulmer uttered after Dove had clarified to him about who the Ten Lions of Syslon were.“I didn’t think you were an outsider, but it makes sense now,” Zebron said. “You probably used some kind of cheap trick to defeat my son, right?”Ulmer smiled and said, “Why don’t you ask your son about that?”Rever’s shoulders jerked. He was the referee of the match, so he was also standing on the stage. “L-Let’s not talk about the past. Let’s look into the future. That’s what matters.”His words made Mirianne chuckle.“There’s no need for a serious fight,” Edward said. “But do try to put on a show since my beloved wife is watching.”Edward’s wife loved how her husband was respecting her. “Whoever wins, I’ll give them a gift,” she said.“I definitely can’t lose then,” Zebron said.“Winning and losing is not just up to you to decide,” Ulmer stepped forward. “It depends on who your opponent is. Since I am your opponent, you ha