The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 309

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 309

Episode 309.

“…I am merely a knight.”

Even as Bairan’s face grew serious, Garion only answered calmly.

“The Great Lion King is an Emperor and a knight who has reached the supreme realm. In command and leadership, virtue, and martial prowess, surely Your Highness, who carries the Lion King’s bloodline, is qualified.”

“Ha, what do you lack besides bloodline?”

“That is the most important thing, Your Highness. Don’t you know which family I come from?”

“If, if you bring that up, then I become the bad guy.”

Watching Bairan stammer in confusion, Garion chuckled and said casually.

“I am my lord’s knight, that is enough for me. So please reach the supreme realm as soon as possible.”

“Hey! What did you just say? You said lord!”

“Hmm, I think you misheard.”

“No way! I definitely heard it!”

When Garion played dumb, Bairan shouted even more excitedly, but his face had to turn pale at the answer that followed.

“If you’re saying such things, it seems you still have energy left. Let’s continue training.”

“Huh…? Isn’t this enough for today?”

“That cannot be. Even talent must be supported by effort to shine.”

“Aaaaah! Save the Prince!”

And so the two continued training through the night.

Such days continued on and on after that.

In the morning, he received lessons from a swordsmanship instructor, learned liberal arts and lordship studies, and trained with Garion at night.

After repeating this for dozens, hundreds of days, and then several years.

“What, I taught you just a week ago and you’ve already mastered it? Ah! Truly, this is a talent bestowed by God!”

“Indeed, one called the reincarnation of the Lion King. To manifest aura at the age of 16!”

Bairan reached the level of manifesting sword aura at the youngest age of his generation.

Thanks to this, the world was once again in an uproar, but Bairan felt half proud and half frustrated.

“Such a fuss… What’s youngest? Garion manifested it a whole year ago.”

“Don’t say such things. Manifesting sword aura at 16 is truly remarkable.”

“Of all people, when you say that, Garion, somehow it’s annoying? Are you mocking me?”

“Not at all.”

The world knew Bairan as the youngest sword aura Player of his generation, but the true youngest record should have belonged to Garion.

An unprecedented genius.

This modifier rightfully belonged to Garion, not himself.

“As I always say, just keep striving.”

“What’s the point of striving when you’re always ahead of me?”

“Shouldn’t a knight who must protect his lord be stronger than his lord?”

“I wish you couldn’t speak.”

But Garion always stayed by his side with a calm expression.

“By the way, you skipped morning training today. Didn’t I say it’s important to do it consistently every day? Just because you’ve manifested aura doesn’t mean it’s over. Even among aura Players, depending on their level of training, there’s a big…”

“Ah, alright. I was wrong. I’ll go back and train now.”

While going on with his consistent nagging.

‘I’m really grateful, Garion.’

Bairan was always grateful for such a Garion.

Honestly, he even thought it was more than he deserved.

To think such an unprecedented genius was his loyal sword.

‘I could tell him now.’

He knew why Garion wanted to keep it secret.

He was the heir of a fallen family.

His judgment was that if it became known he was the first sword, it wouldn’t be good for either Bairan or Garion in many ways.

But not now.

Now that he had become a sword aura Player and his position was solid.

There was no need to desperately keep it secret, was there?

“I’m comfortable with this.”

“Why?”

“People find it hard to bear when someone below them is superior.”

“I don’t?”

“That’s your strength, my lord. You don’t get anxious and use it as a stepping stone to strive harder.”

So when he asked, all he got back was the same answer about not wanting to stand out.

He didn’t understand then, but he would soon understand the meaning of those words.

As he grew older and observed people, most were indeed like Garion said – they couldn’t bear having someone of lower status stand above them.

The more distinguished the noble, the worse it was.

‘I need to ascend to the throne quickly.’

So that no one could look down on Garion.

So that a world would come where Garion wouldn’t have such worries.

It seemed possible if Garion continued to stay with him like this.

In fact, thanks to him, he was gaining everyone’s recognition and rapidly approaching the Emperor’s position.

If things continued like this, everything would work out smoothly, he thought.

“Y-Your Highness! The Empress has collapsed!”

“What are you doing not bringing a physician!”

“We brought skilled physicians, but they all shook their heads. They say it’s a disease they’ve never seen before.”

“Then what happens to Mother?”

“…For now, she needs to rest…”

Until one day when he turned 20, when the Empress suddenly collapsed.

That was only the beginning.

“Your Highness! Many among the people are showing the same symptoms!”

“Then… you’re saying it’s an epidemic? Ah, what is this…”

A terrible epidemic that led to coma and then death had spread throughout the entire country.

The Empire was turned upside down by the sudden calamity.

The disease that struck commoners and nobles simultaneously without discrimination strangely showed the most symptoms among nobles and royalty.

The ratio was overwhelmingly about 8:2.

‘That means… a disease that only affects nobles…?’

The first place Bairan ran to wasn’t his father the Emperor, nor his younger brother Baharun.

His friend who was more like a brother than his actual brothers.

“Your Highness, but is Sir Garion alright?”

“…What?”

“The knight hasn’t been seen for a while since going on a mission. Perhaps he’s caught the epidemic… It would be better to keep distance for now… Your Highness?”

Before the physician could finish speaking, Bairan ran.

Before his thoughts could properly connect, his body moved instinctively.

‘He’s not here?’

But when he arrived at Garion’s room, no one was there.

Bairan, growing anxious, pressed the physicians, but only heard that Garion wasn’t in the infirmary.

Just in case, he checked everywhere – the training ground, the office, and all other places, but he wasn’t there.

‘Sir Ronde might know.’

Then Ronde suddenly came to mind.

Besides himself, the person Garion was closest to was Ronde, the Knight Commander of Arren Castle.

‘Is it my imagination? My body feels heavy today.’

It might be because he was worried about Mother and Garion.

Leading his increasingly heavy body, Bairan hurriedly arrived at Arren Castle and couldn’t help but frown.

‘No guards?’

With all this chaos going on, how could there be no guards?

Something is wrong.

Sensing an ominous feeling, Bairan quickened his pace. And the ominous feeling grew stronger the more he walked through the castle.

Throughout walking the corridor, he hadn’t seen a single person.

Just then.

“Knight Ronde!”

Seeing the familiar back of Ronde in the distance, Bairan shouted.

However, Ronde showed no reaction whatsoever.

He just stood there blankly with his back turned.

“Knight Ronde?”

The moment he approached closer in puzzlement.

Bairan smelled it.

‘Blood… smell?’

That’s when it happened.

Ronde, who had been standing blankly, collapsed sideways powerlessly like a deflated balloon, and the man who had been hidden behind Ronde was revealed.

Bairan’s pupils shook violently at this.

The man was someone Bairan knew all too well.

“Gari… on?”

“…”

Garion van Rodman.

Bairan’s one and only friend, and though they didn’t share blood, a man who was like a brother.

He had killed Ronde, who had taught swordsmanship to both of them, and was covered in his blood.

Ronde wasn’t just a simple swordsmanship instructor.

He was a reliable adult they had been comfortable and close with, like an uncle.

“Why… are you…?”

It was when Bairan was making a dumbfounded expression at the unbelievable reality.

“Haah…”

Garion, who had been standing in silent response, let out a deep sigh.

Then he met his gaze with cold eyes he’d never seen before.

“Why did you come? You should go to your family.”

“I was worried about you and tried to ask Knight Ronde… No.”

Bairan, who had been rambling, shook his head.

Then with a rigidly hardened face, he looked at Garion and asked.

“…Why did you do it?”

“I have no ill feelings toward Knight Ronde.”

“Then why is he dead!! You of all people, you shouldn’t have done this!”

Even at the cry that was close to a scream, Garion remained calm.

Looking quietly at Ronde’s still-warm corpse, he answered in a composed voice.

“He was quite perceptive. Uncharacteristically so.”

“…What?”

“He noticed that I was preparing something, didn’t he. This is why I tried to keep my distance from people… Tsk. Getting too close was the problem.”

“…Preparing? Speak so I can understand, Garion.”

He had no idea what he was talking about.

However, his body seemed to sense it instinctively as it began trembling.

Whether it was betrayal, shock, or something else, he couldn’t tell.

He just felt unfamiliar.

“Your Highness was supposed to be last… but since I’ve already been discovered, it can’t be helped.”

“Last… you say?”

“Naive Your Highness. My master. Haven’t you ever thought it strange that there’s a disease that only affects nobles? Moreover, all the people of the imperial family are now afflicted with the disease.”

Garion, who had been saying this, let out an “Ah” and corrected himself.

“Ah, only the Empress has shown a reaction so far, so you wouldn’t know.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You don’t need to think about it difficultly. Just understand it as the imperial family’s downfall has come, just like my family’s destruction.”

Bairan still stood dumbfounded, unable to understand.

Garion smiled slightly, approached closer, and whispered in his ear.

“I spread the disease. To my master’s family.”

“…!”

“And now it’s my master’s turn.”

The moment those words ended, Bairan drew the sword at his waist and swung it.

But Garion had already stepped back.

At the same time, Bairan collapsed to his knees with a thud. He hadn’t been struck by anything.

The moment Garion simply gestured toward the air, his insides began burning as if on fire, and his mind became dizzy.

“Why… is my body…?”

“Didn’t I tell you? All the people of the imperial family are afflicted with the disease. Aren’t you of imperial blood?”

“…”

“And that thing. It’s not actually a disease. It’s erosion.”

“Erosion… you say?”

“What else could erosion be?”

Garion’s eyes were cold as he raised the corners of his mouth mockingly.

“The Abyss.”

“…!”

Bairan gritted his teeth and put strength into his hand gripping the floor.

Joining hands with the Abyss meant he had already committed an irreversible taboo.

Yet he hadn’t noticed at all.

No, no one except Ronde had noticed.

“…Since when? Since when have you been preparing this?”

This meant he had been preparing for a very long time.

Then how much of it was real?

Was the nagging but loyal appearance of Garion he knew really true?

Garion’s answer to this was simple.

“From the beginning.”

“…What?”

“From our first meeting when you secretly climbed over the wall until now. Everything was planned.”

Bairan’s eyes turned red.

His breathing became rapid and it became difficult to breathe anymore.

But even while collapsed face-down, his wide-open eyes were still directed straight at Garion.

“…I thought of you as a brother. I considered you a friend I could spend my whole life with.”

“Yes. You were truly upright. Unlike someone of imperial blood, you were really a good person. Perhaps that’s why I tried to delay your turn until the very end.”

Garion, who had been answering calmly, soon turned his back.

“The Abyss will appear here soon. Ronde succeeds in driving away the Abyss, but is ultimately consumed. You collapse from illness, suffer for a while, and soon go missing.”

“Gari… on…”

“His Majesty the Emperor collapses from the shock of that, and sadly follows the Empress.”

“Garion…!”

“I am merely a knight who devotedly cared for such a master and ultimately saw him off. This is the history that will be recorded. Ah, perhaps they might conceal the history.”

Bairan’s vision gradually became blurry.

“Don’t worry. It’s not time yet. Everything is for ‘that day’…”

Now he couldn’t tell whether he was turning his back or looking at him.

However, in his fading consciousness, Bairan saw it.

——-!!!

Something enormous appearing behind Garion letting out a terrible roar.

The moment reptilian eyes flashed.

Bairan’s consciousness faded away.

And that day, half of the Imperial Palace and nobility fell ill and collapsed.

* * *

Ding-

[Bairan de Arnis’s memory has ended.]

[You have witnessed the Empire’s hidden history.]

….

[Bairan de Arnis is watching you.]

The darkened vision returned.

The first thing he saw was the light of life in Bairan’s eyes, who was staring intently at him, gradually fading away.

-….

And then there were Charlie’s eyes, blazing with fierce anger like a furnace.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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