Episode 326 – Die
Gulp.
Windsor swallowed dryly and slowly looked around him.
His guards were crushed into the ground like insects, sprawled out like bugs stomped by a human.
“...They’re all dead?”
Silence.
Just moments ago, groans had echoed through the space, but now, not a single sound—only deathly stillness.
They weren’t even killed by direct hits.
They’d blocked the arrows… and still died.
But...
‘The arrows... are gone?’
Windsor’s eyes widened as he examined the corpses.
The arrows that had pierced the ground had vanished.
Could it be... an artifact?
Windsor’s gaze fell on the man’s bow.
A smooth, gleaming bow. Its sleek, curved body shimmered with a subtle luster, like fresh snow.
When the man released the bow, it hovered momentarily in the air, then shrank into a ring-shaped bracelet.
A plain, snow-white bracelet.
His fear only lasted a moment—Windsor’s eyes were soon filled with greed.
As an only child, if there was something he wanted—whether it was a woman or an object—he had to possess it.
He wanted that bow.
Once greed set in, his fear vanished.
“Who the hell are you?!”
“Me??”
The man pointed to himself, then chuckled and scratched his head.
“Ah, come to think of it, I forgot to formally announce my visit. Hey.”
He smiled warmly at the butler.
“Let the family head know that Alex Marcia, acting representative of the World Tree Union, is here.”
“Ah, Alex??”
The butler’s eyes widened in shock.
And at the moment the man revealed his identity—
Ding, ding, ding! Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!
Bells rang from all directions.
The warning cry a guard had managed to shout before dying had finally triggered a response. The mansion erupted into chaos.
The butler hurriedly grabbed Windsor’s sleeve and pulled him back, while dozens of men poured out of the estate and surrounded the intruder.
Roughly twenty of them.
Each drew their weapons and closed in on the man.
The air instantly turned deadly.
Windsor’s confidence returned.
He knew exactly where these men were from, so he puffed out his chest and stood tall.
Now, the man before him looked like prey.
“Alex? The guy making all that noise in the city lately?”
“Yeah, that guy. Probably.”
“Who do you think you are, firing arrows around here?! Do you even know where you are?!”
“Where else? This is the Everfell estate.”
The man’s casual tone made Windsor grit his teeth.
No one had ever so brazenly disrespected his family before.
“You think we’re a joke? You dare?!”
“Whether it’s a joke or not, I do know one thing: you treat other races like insects. That’s what I call ‘daring.’”
The man waved his hand. A dark shadow rose near the target post, and someone clad in black appeared.
The figure quickly released the elf and began healing him.
Windsor’s face twisted in disbelief.
“...Who said you could treat that elf?!”
“I said so.”
“That elf is my property! Whether he lives or dies is up to me!”
“Bullshit.”
“What?!”
“That elf isn’t your property. He belongs to the Everfell family. For now, anyway.”
Windsor was stunned.
“Do you even know who I am?!”
“How the hell would I know? And why would I care?”
“I—I am Windsor Everfell, heir to the Everfell family!”
Windsor declared his name proudly.
Normally, when he revealed who he was, people would shrink in fear or put on fake smiles to curry favor.
As expected, the man smiled.
‘There it is.’
He assumed that meant the man would either offer a handshake or an apology next.
But what the man said next completely shattered Windsor’s expectations.
“Oh, that little bastard?”
“...?”
The man’s face showed mild surprise.
“What the hell? You look way more normal than I expected. From the rumors, I thought you’d look like a beast who gave up being human.”
“Y-You...!”
Windsor, who lived off pride and vanity, had never been insulted like this in front of others. His hands clenched into shaking fists.
“Do you realize that insulting me is the same as insulting the Everfell family?!”
“Then what about insulting the elf?”
“The elf??”
“Did it ever occur to you that treating an elf like target practice is an insult to the World Tree Union? You goddamn orc-brained waste of space.”
At that moment, the fragile restraint Windsor had been holding onto snapped.
His face flushed bright red with fury.
“He killed the guards! Seize him and drag him before me right now!”
Windsor shrieked, pointing his finger furiously.
His voice made it clear—he wouldn’t forgive. Anyone resisting could be torn apart.
He was convinced that the man wouldn’t be able to handle the group surrounding him. He imagined the man coughing blood, dragged forward like a broken dog.
But as soon as the armed men’s reactions came into view, Windsor’s face began to twist in confusion.
“W-What are you all doing!? Don’t you hear me?! I said attack!”
“You bastards!”
Despite his fiery command, the men surrounding the intruder barely reacted.
Not that they looked scared either. Some picked at their ears, others yawned—clearly showing disinterest.
The man, watching this, let out a short laugh and looked at Windsor.
“You’re not even qualified.”
“Go call your daddy, you little brat.”
Windsor’s face contorted like a demon.
The man ignored him and looked toward the butler running back to the mansion. The way the butler scrambled made it clear—he’d finally come to his senses.
I glanced around at the ones surrounding me, my brows slightly furrowing.
Just as the House of Lenon used Demtor as a shield, it seemed the Everfell family had its own protection.
‘More connections than I expected.’
These weren’t like the ones I’d killed with arrows earlier. Each of them had sharp, refined presence and well-contained aura.
Real professionals, mostly between 3-star and 4-star.
Their energy was stable, but they exuded a heavy, sticky bloodlust. The stench of blood clung to them even while standing still.
‘And those weapons...’
Twin swords, greatswords, halberds, bows, daggers, and more.
The weaponry was diverse. Their armor and clothing were also completely varied.
“I didn’t expect Everfell to have ties to Prime Root. Money really is a powerful thing, huh?”
“You guys were nearly wiped out by Lochter’s blade, and yet here you are, still crawling.”
The men who’d ignored my first jab reacted to the second.
Their faces hardened, and their eyes sharpened.
Considering how many from Prime Root had lost their heads to Lochter, it was understandable.
So, these bastards do have pride?
I glanced toward the Everfell estate and scoffed.
“They go on and on about noble bloodlines, but their pride’s not worth a spoon of rice.”
Any house that valued tradition would normally align with Demtor.
Mages are rational and value dialogue. While money matters to them, they prioritize cause and reason—traits that nobles value.
But Prime Root?
Pure greed.
They act only for profit.
‘Well, it is a slave business, after all.’
Given the nature of their trade, it was inevitable that Everfell would associate with slave hunters. To capture elves, you needed skill and experience.
These were Everfell’s elite slave hunters—the ones who supplied slaves for a fortune.
“So what, you guys came here to have a staring contest? What’s with the lukewarm action?”
Even when provoked, they focused solely on maintaining the encirclement, watching but not attacking.
I didn’t know what orders they’d received, but they clearly weren’t going to strike just yet.
Chrarrrk—
Until that punk decided to sprinkle gold across the floor.
Windsor, face contorted, held a heavy pouch in his hand. He poured some out and tossed the bag in front of them.
The hunters’ eyes locked onto the pouch.
“1.5 million gold.”
“I’ll give it to whoever brings me that bastard’s arms and legs. No need to kill him. And to the one who strikes first...”
Windsor looked toward the elf collapsed by the target post.
“I’ll give that elf as a slave.”
The moment he finished speaking—
Papapapapapak!
The hunters kicked off the ground at once.
No glances exchanged, no hesitation.
1.5 million gold.
And an elf worth hundreds of thousands.
Once the calculation was done, they moved instantly.
Wooong!
Energy surged from their weapons.
Each one charged, unleashing a menacing, bloodthirsty aura.
If I stayed still, I wouldn’t just be stabbed—I’d be reduced to bloody pulp.
“Not bad.”
I turned to Windsor.
The little bastard was smiling smugly, eyes burning with hatred.
Even rotten fish has some value, I suppose. He knew how to exploit a hunter’s instincts.
“But here’s the thing...”
I slowly clenched my fists and dropped into a stance.
Weapons rushed at me from all sides.
A perfect encirclement. Dodging was impossible.
But I raised both fists side by side and assumed Quanru’s basic form.
The hunters’ faces twisted into sneers.
Their eyes gleamed as they eagerly sized me up, deciding how best to carve me apart.
Some even picked up the pace to be the first to land a blow.
The moment before all hell broke loose—
I bared my teeth and laughed.
“You won’t be taking that money.”
In that instant, my eyes turned deep ash gray.
Enchant Attribute Activation:
Iron Fist of Parthe—Steel.
Ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-KANG! Ka-kang!
"...!"
Sparks burst from my body.
The Prime Root bastards looked stunned as their weapons bounced off me.
Some even dropped their weapons and clutched their wrists.
All eyes were on me now.
I met their gazes.
Then—
Flash—
My eyes widened. I locked onto every one of them in range.
As soon as I confirmed they were all within Quanru’s strike zone, I lunged forward.
Kwaang!
Pivoting with my lead foot, I scanned the enemies and let out a vicious grin.
“Die.”
The moment the words left my mouth, my body spun like a lightning bolt, and Quanru’s fists shot out.
The first to fall was the one trying to stab my back with a short dagger.
Puh-suk—
"...Ggrug!"
My punch crushed his throat, snapping his neck. With a crack, it detached and flew off.
Ka-kang!
From behind, an axe and sword crashed onto my shoulder. I grabbed both attackers’ faces and slammed them into the ground.
Their heads exploded like watermelons, spraying blood.
Hot droplets splattered on my face.
This was my first official display of power in Aintrier.
“So overwhelming they wouldn’t even want to fight.”
Seeing a few flinch and retreat, I roared and unleashed Burst Strike.
“Kuaaaagh!”
Kwaaang—!
I moved to sever the necks of my wavering prey.
My steel body spun like a deadly blade, shredding enemies into pieces.
Blood exploded in the air.