Chapter 2: An Eye for an Eye
Keter was sitting in the Solver’s Office.
“Big Brother, it’s been exactly one year since you’ve returned from Sefira.”
This boy, who was calling Keter “Big Brother,” was holding a cigarette in his left hand, which contrasted with his young face.
“Has it already been that long?” Keter asked.
“You also said you would tell me what happened in Sefira.”
“You still remember. I hate to disappoint you, but all I did in Sefira was eat, sleep, and play.”
“Still, I’m sure you didn’t come back empty-handed, right?”
“They gave me an artifact when I lasted for a year, and I left as soon as I got it.”
There was more he could talk about if he wanted to, but he didn’t, as it was neither interesting nor touching. For Keter, the year he spent in Sefira was something that was forgettable and irrelevant; he had also cut ties with his family when he left.
“But why did you come back to Liqueur? You could have stayed in Sefira and lived as the direct descendant of a prestigious family,” the boy asked.
“What’s the point of that if it’s no fun?”
“No offense, but you seem like the kind of person who would kill themselves if the world became boring.”
“I just hope to die of old age before that happens.”
“What about the artifact you got from Sefira? Was it real?”
“Yeah. You really can leave Liqueur as you please.”
Keter talked about it nonchalantly like it wasn’t a big deal, but this would have been a shocking revelation to ordinary Liqueurians. An artifact that allowed one to leave Liqueur at will? That was a treasure even the Godfather, the ruler of Liqueur and a major figure in the underworld, would covet.
“If you can leave, why are you staying in Liqueur? The outside world is much bigger than this place.”
Dork had been Keter’s subordinate for a long time; he was almost like a part of his body. He prided himself on knowing Keter well, but he couldn’t understand why Keter would stay in Liqueur when he could leave.
Keter’s answer to that was simple and straightforward.
“There’s nowhere as fun as Liqueur.”
“Wow, Big Brother, you are insane. Other Liqueurians would sell their souls if they could leave this place.”
“I wouldn’t want their souls even if they begged me to take it.”
“That’s true.”
With his curiosity satisfied, Dork moved onto more mundane, day-to-day matters.
“Big Brother, there are a few interesting cases that came in.”
“Ah, whatever. We’re closed today.”
“But you were closed yesterday.”
“We’re closed tomorrow, too.”
“Why don’t we take the entire week off, then?”
“Good idea. Let’s do that.”
The two of them got along quite well.
* * *
Keter returned to Liqueur from Sefira, thinking that his ties with Sefira were now over. However, his connection with Sefira was an ill-fated one, and such ties did not break simply by being ignored.
Oren came to Keter again. It had been five years since their last meeting, but there was no time for a heartfelt reunion. Oren was on the brink of death, practically a walking corpse, and it was a miracle he had managed to make it to Liqueur alive.
“Lord Keter… Please take… this as the last… word from Sefira…”
Oren handed a firmly folded letter to Keter and passed away. Feeling the urgency, Keter first read the letter.
—To Keter, my son.
Read the enclosed letter in the dark. Only the eyes of Sefira can read the location. Our Sefira’s secret archery techniques and treasures are gathered there.
I am not asking you for revenge. Do not face the queen, for she is beyond human control. Run away and hide. Use the treasure to fund your escape, and use the secret archery skill as a bargaining chip if you are captured.
Finally, I apologize for bringing you into the family, then ignoring and belittling you. I did so because I saw no good in you being associated with our family. As it turned out to be meaningless, I have nothing left but regret. I should have said this myself, but now I can only deliver it in writing. I love you. Please live.
“...”
The corner of Keter’s eyes twitched as he read the entire letter.
Dork, sensing the tension, cautiously asked, “Big Brother, what does the letter say?”
Without a word, Keter handed the letter to Dork, who read it and began to tremble.
“... S-So, Besil, the patriarch of the Sefira family, is actually your biological father… No, that’s not what’s important right now. You need to hide immediately! The queen is a bitch who would even send an army to Liqueur!”
It was mad to send an army into a place that was inescapable. But the queen of this country, Queen Lillian, was ruthless enough to do it.
Keter bent down and gently closed Oren’s eyes before picking him up. Dork grabbed Keter’s arm, trying to stop him.
“Big Brother! We don’t have time for that right now! We need to hide deep underground, or we have to get out of Liqueur quickly. If we run away to the empire, even Lillian won’t be able to do anything.”
“Dork, look me in the eye,” Keter said.
“Huh?”
“A man who risked his life for me died. Don’t insult the work of burying him so he can rest in peace.”
There was no such thing as good land in Liqueur, but Keter buried Oren in the best land there was. He dusted off his hands, then glanced at Dork.
“And what did you say? Hide underground or run away to the empire?”
“Big Brother, you can’t possibly be thinking of going up against the queen.”
“Why not? My motto is, ‘Eye for an eye.’”
“You don’t need to do that for Sefira, do you?”
Dork knew that Keter was incredibly strong—he was someone capable of defeating Swordmasters or Grand Mages, those known as superhuman beings in the outside world.
But the queen of this country was not human. Though she looked like one, she was a being who had lived for hundreds, even thousands, of years. With a flick of her hand, she could turn mountains to plains and plains into canyons.
People easily called the queen a “god.” She might not be omniscient, but her power rivaled that of a deity. No matter how strong a human being was, they couldn’t defeat a god.
Moreover, the queen ruled an entire nation. To oppose her meant turning an army of hundreds of thousands, thousands of knights, and hundreds of mages into enemies.
Keter knew this all too well, and yet, he still boldly claimed he would fight the queen, who was trying to kill him. However, it wasn’t for Sefira.
“Make no mistake; I’m not seeking revenge for Sefira. I’m simply doing the same for the queen.”
“I know that’s your nature, but this time it’s different. We’re talking about the queen. No one would call you a coward for running and hiding.”
“Dork, I’ve never chosen my opponents. That’s why I survived in Liqueur, and it’s my life’s purpose to never bow to anyone. The queen is no exception.”
Feeling the firm resolve in Keter’s words, Dork gave up trying to persuade him.
“If you don’t want to be involved, leave now. Go by yourself.”
It was a one-sided termination notice.
Though Dork was shuddering in terror, he put on a smile and said, “Where would I go, Big Brother? You can’t do anything without me.”
“Don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Keter said.
“You were the one who said that you should make a name for yourself in this world. So, I’m going to make a name for myself as a loyal servant of the man who stood up to the queen.”
“That’s more like it. You’re crazy, too. No wonder you’re my subordinate.”
“Let’s leave Liqueur first. The queen won’t know we can leave this place. Once we’re out, we’ll be able to hide well.”
“I told you, I’m not going to hide.”
“We’re hiding strategically. You’re not thinking of barging into the palace right away, are you? Let’s make a plan first.”
“Oh! I knew you had a plan.”
Keter planned to leave Liqueur with only a few of his valuables. However, the queen was more thorough than he had anticipated. Her army had already spread throughout Liqueur. The queen’s actions were indeed ruthless and merciless: she mobilized an army of fifty thousand soldiers to encircle Liqueur, a forbidden city from which no one could escape. It was clear that she intended to kill Keter, even if it meant waging a full-scale war against Liqueur.
“Big Brother, what should we do? There don’t seem to be any gaps in their perimeter. It looks like we’ll have to fight our way through.”
“Hm…”
Keter stroked his chin. The soldiers, sent by the queen, were heavily armed and extremely resolute.
No matter how strong Keter was, he was basically alone; Dork wasn’t a great fighter. The number of soldiers blocking the path ahead alone was at least three hundred. If the fight dragged on even a little, he would be surrounded by fifty thousand men, the entire troop. The army was closing in, tightening their encirclement by checking everyone on the streets.
As Keter’s concern deepened, Dork suggested an alternative.
“What if we go underground? We can hold out there. No matter how long they stay, they’ll give up in ten years out of exhaustion. Then we can get our revenge…”
“No, they’ll never give up.”
Neither the queen, nor I would ever give up.
Keter leaped onto the roof and shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Looking for me, idiots!”
Everyone’s attention was drawn to the voice, which was so loud that it rattled the windows. The soldiers looked back and forth between the portrait and Keter, then surrounded him in an instant.
But it wasn’t the army that had swarmed around him; the Liqueurians had also gathered after hearing his voice.
Pointing to the soldiers, Keter said, “The queen sent these idiots to kill me. So, I have decided…”
Keter raised his fist with a calm face.
“I’m going to leave Liqueur right now. I’m going to leave and then kill the queen! Why, you ask? That’s because that’s the way of life in Liqueur!”
It didn’t matter how Keter got on the wrong side of the queen or how he was going to leave Liqueur. If Keter said he would do it, he was going to: there wasn’t a single Liqueurian who didn’t know that.
“Nice speech, Big Brother, but what are you going to do now?” Dork asked, glancing below them.
So many soldiers and knights filled the streets and alleys that it was difficult to count them. The soldiers were not ordinary soldiers but from the elite army directly under the queen, and all the knights were above two stars.
Each one was a tough opponent, and they all came to Liqueur with the sole intention of killing Keter. There wasn’t even any formal conversation.
As soon as the man, who seemed to be the commander, gave the order to attack…
Crash! Boom!
A massive explosion ripped through the city, instantly creating a hole in the middle of the army that was hit. Soon, an old man emerged from the smoke.
“Hehehe, I finally get to use my bomb on the queen’s dogs.”
It was Ragnon the Bomber, one of the Five Lunatics of Liqueur.
“Charge!”
Undaunted, the commander pointed to Keter and ordered the soldiers to attack Keter. The army charged in unison with their shields raised.
That was when…
Whoosh!
…two scythes slithered like serpents through the air, slaughtering the men. Their armor of shields made of amantir, which could even resist aura, were torn to shreds.
It was Jenny the Chain Scythe, one of the Five Lunatics. She looked back at Keter and winked.
“I saved your life in a moment of crisis, so you’re going to marry me, right?”
Before Keter could answer, Jenny dove into the soldiers and harvested lives. It didn’t matter, as Keter’s response was always the same.
“Wake up.”
Two of the Five Lunatics, the madmen feared by other madmen, had stepped up. Their appearance seemed very unnatural—it was as if they had been waiting—but Keter paid no attention, as the appearance of the two Lunatics threw the hundreds of soldiers into chaos and created openings. There was no reason to argue about things when Keter had suffered no losses.
Keter, who came down from the roof, walked down the street casually, as if taking a stroll. The army couldn’t reach him, as Liqueurians kept appearing out of nowhere to protect Keter, all saying the same thing.
“I’ve paid off my debt with this, you damn fixer!”
“Go kick that pompous queen’s ass!”
“Only a Liquerian can kill a Liquerian!”
Keter, known as the Clear-Eyed Madman, was avoided by most Liqueurians, but grudges weren’t the only thing he had gotten at Liqueur. There were hundreds of people who owed him their lives.
In addition, there were many in Liqueur who had a grudge against the queen because of her law of sending all criminals who were hard to deal with to Liqueur. Ragnon the Bomber, in particular, had a deep hatred for the royal army as his entire family was executed because he studied explosives. Others, like Jenny the Chain Scythe, fought for the simple reason of love.
As the battle intensified, the army that had surrounded the entire city converged where Keter was. Among them was a Swordmaster known as a Transcendental. No matter how strong the Liqueurians were, they were powerless before a Swordmaster.
With one slash of the Swordmaster’s blade, the Liqueurians were cut to pieces, stopping Keter’s footsteps.
The Swordmaster, wearing jet-black armor, pointed his sword at Keter and declared, “I am Her Majesty the queen’s sword and executor. Keter, the descendant of Sefira who committed treason. According to collective punishment, I’m here to deliver your verdict.”
The Sword Master's Aura Sword, which could cut through all things, approached Keter, but he stood still, his hands loose at his sides. He was relaxed because he felt a familiar presence.
Clang!
A red blood sword blocked the Swordmaster’s Aura Sword. It was Balt, Liqueur’s Blade Demon.
Keter wondered why this bastard showed up, as Balt had no reason to help him.
Swinging away the Executor’s blade, Balt said, “Go, Keter. You have to die in my hands.”
He’s just as crazy as I am.
Keter chuckled and replied, “I hope you live a long life because I’m going to be the one who kills you.”
The Executor filled the sky with his sword. Dozens of swords occupied every inch of space, putting pressure on Keter. However, he didn’t stop walking, even in the midst of the Aura Blade; in fact, he ran.
A thin, red line flashed past Keter’s side. It was Balt’s flash of light. The Executor’s sword attack split apart in mid-air, opening the way for Keter.
Keter and Dork were able to escape Liqueur with the help of other Liqueurians. As expected, there were no soldiers outside.
After ensuring they were safe, Dork said, “There’s no one outside. If we hide, this is the best opportunity, but… Are you really going to fight the queen?”
“Yeah,” Keter replied.
“You have enough reason to think why you would win, right? I’m just anxious.”
“Dork, there’s no such thing. I’m doing it because I have to.”
Keter was doing this because he had to do it; reason was unnecessary here. No matter how unfavorable the situation, no matter how strong the opponent, Keter never backed down—that’s how he had lived since birth. This time was no different.
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