The Strongest in Our Neighborhood - Chapter 72

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Strongest in Our Neighborhood (72)
Nokskasarsis approached Jang Gain, who sat cross-armed atop the beheaded demon’s corpse with a grave expression etched across his face.
“What’s eating at you?”
Ever since discovering that Aleingde Mir had knocked down the price of dragon fangs and scales to a pittance, Jang Gain had refused to move forward, lingering in this posture for quite some time.
“Usually, when you’re caught doing something shameless, you can’t bear to look the other person in the eye, right?”
“You mean that old mage over there who keeps watching for your reaction?”
Where Nokskasarsis gestured, Aleingde Mir and his disciple Laila loitered near the party, their eyes fixed on Jang Gain’s every movement.
“Yeah. Now that I think I’ve been swindled, I just don’t want to look at him.”
“If seeing him bothers you that much, why not just tell him to get lost?”
“It should be simple, but for some reason the words won’t come out.”
“So that’s why you’re standing there with your arms crossed and scowling like that? You’re hoping the old mage will figure it out and leave the party on his own?”
“I don’t know. If this were the old me, I would’ve told him to get out without hesitation. But now… I’m hesitating, and I don’t understand why.”
“The old you—you mean before you came to this world?”
“Yeah.”
“In that world, you probably had a lot of people around you.”
Hearing Nokskasarsis’s words, Jang Gain tilted his head.
“I didn’t have many people around me at all.”
“I’m not talking about people you were close with. I mean you probably knew a lot of people.”
“Hmm, well, I did know many people. I held a fairly high position within the institution, and before I left the order to seek the Spirit Realm, I was solidifying my connections with junior members from the other Four Great Demon Houses.”
“You had so many people around you, and then you came to another world. Now each connection feels precious. And that old mage showed you considerable goodwill at the beginning, trying to win your favor.”
“He showed me kindness at first. So why did he resort to cheating later?”
“Through that kindness, he opened your heart and tested the waters carefully. When he saw you had a naive side, he decided your prices could be undercut.”
“A naive side… Did my goodwill seem naive to him?”
“Probably. Why? Do you want to deny it?”
…
“So if you’d met an old man like that in your previous world, would you have agonized over it like this? I don’t think you would have.”
Jang Gain thought for a moment, then nodded.
“You’re right. Your words aren’t pleasant to hear, but they’re true. Once someone stabs you in the back, they’ll do it again.”
“And if you don’t want to be betrayed again, you have to cut the relationship cleanly. Many new connections will form from now on—just maintain the good ones among them.”
“Is it because you’re a dragon? You’re sharp and eloquent.”
“I’ve lived as a human polymorph for over a thousand years. In all that time, I’ve seen countless human natures. So naturally, I see people better than you and make wiser judgments.”
“My tangled thoughts are sorted out because of you. Thank you.”
“So are you heading off to close the Gate now?”
“After I kick out that old mage, then I’ll go close the Gate.”
Jang Gain went straight to Aleingde Mir and issued an Eviction Order coldly.
* * *
On a crystal orb screen the size of a watermelon, a man was visible severing the necks of three Baron-rank demons and stuffing them into a Sub-space, while countless bolts of lightning rained down from the sky.
Several other humans were slaughtering demonic beasts and magical creatures, but they hardly drew attention—not worth examining closely.
“Ugh! This is maddening. Has the green lizard’s dormancy period already ended? No, even if it has, this is on the opposite side of Laire—it shouldn’t be within his sphere of interest at all.”
The one studying the crystal orb with a troubled expression was Bekarta, a vassal of Adrammelech.
Bekarta mentally compared the current demonic forces in Sapphire Castle against the dragon’s strength.
“That Sword Master, I might be able to handle. But the dragon… no matter how I calculate it, it’s beyond my capacity.”
Even gathering all the demons in the castle and drawing in the scattered demonic beasts and creatures from every direction, the dragon remained beyond her reach—she arrived at this grim conclusion.
“Sigh! My pride wounds, but I have no choice but to ask Father for help.”
After a moment’s deliberation, she produced another crystal orb and caressed it, revealing a blood-red sea churning with crimson tides.
She knelt before the blood sea, bowed her head in reverence, then carefully opened her mouth.
“Most esteemed Naadrasi, the ruddy feather among the seven feathers of the venerable Adrammelech! The small branch of the crimson feather, Bekarta, seeks your presence.”
Swish.
In that instant, from the crimson sea within the crystal orb arose a single scarlet bud, which soon unfurled its petals to reveal a naked man reclining diagonally within them.
―You’re not a small branch that came from me, but a mere sprout that hasn’t even grown properly yet. Anyway, it’s been three hundred years since you’ve sought me out. What troubles you?
The man’s gaze was languid, yet Bekarta, though viewing him through the crystal orb, found herself unable to breathe for a moment.
“Some time ago, I was playing in the Demon Realm when I discovered a Gate connected to the human world, so I brought a few of my vassals and began establishing a foothold. But today, the green lizard suddenly appeared and has been slaughtering my subordinates.”
―The green lizard! A mere sprout like you cannot handle the lizard. So you rushed to find me in desperation.
“Yes. I recorded footage of the green lizard fighting my vassals earlier. Let me show it to you.”
As she infused Demonic Qi into another crystal orb, the scene of the dragon and human slaying demons and demonic creatures replayed.
The red man nestled among the scarlet petals within the crystal orb watched the scene, then chuckled softly.
―Given that the lizard’s destructive magic prowess in human form registers at roughly 8th Grade, it hasn’t yet achieved Ancient status—still a young dragon. I’d wager around three thousand years old.
Bekarta nodded at her father’s assessment.
“I also suspected it was a young dragon, noting that it hasn’t deployed 9th Grade Magic.”
―Hmm! Killing such a young dragon is hardly a difficult task for one of my standing. But as you know, when I descend into the human realm, the cost is steep. The Law of Causality demands payment—how much blood do you have to spare?
“I worked hard to please Father, but my abilities fell short—I managed to gather only twelve Denarium.”
—Twelve Denarium would allow a descent of roughly twelve minutes in human time.
“I apologize, Father.”
—Twelve minutes is more than enough to deal with a young lizard. Though I fear there will be little time for us together.
“I regret that as well, but if Father would only dispose of the lizard, I shall strive to gather more blood and descend for longer periods in the future.”
—Your devotion moves me. First, inscribe the Descent Magic Circle. When the young lizard appears, summon me.
“Yes, Father.”
—Very well. I shall see you soon.
“Yes.”
As the crimson petals closed and the bud sank into the sea of blood, Bekarta released a breath she had been holding, exhaling sharply and fully.
Hah, hah, hah…….
* * *
Rumble, rumble, rumble…… Crack-crack-crack-crack-boom…….
Beyond the countless demonic beasts, magical creatures, and the headless corpses of demonic beings scattered across the field, lightning struck without pause, and with each flash, the darkness gave way to light—revealing a human figure wielding a lance in his left hand and a sword in his right, severing the neck of something neither wholly demon nor beast.
Hah, hah, hah…….
Eldom, Dimitrion Marshal, and Leodosn Terra sat slumped atop the corpses of demonic beasts, breathing heavily as they watched the spectacle unfold.
At their feet lay the ceramic bottles that had once held potions, now scattered and empty.
“Sir Eldom, I drank the potion, yet my exhausted strength hasn’t recovered. Do you have any potions left?”
At Dimitrion Marshal’s question, Eldom smiled bitterly.
“The Cold-Curing Potion I just gave you was my last one.”
“Is that so? Hah! So that was the final potion.”
Then Leodosn Terra, who had been catching his breath for some time after drinking his potion, finally spoke.
“I knew Jang Gain was strong, but… we drank potions and still can’t recover like this. How does he keep unleashing such aura-intensive techniques without exhaustion?”
“Because Jang Gain’s martial arts transcend anything we could imagine. Did you not see him take a direct hit from the dragon’s manifestation in its true form and not only survive but sever its fang? He may be weaker than the dragon, but surely he is the strongest among humans.”
“True enough. He might well surpass the three Masters of this empire.”
“He certainly surpasses them. Look at him—hurling his lance to pierce the skull of a demonic beast many times the size of an ogre, then swinging his sword to sever the neck of a flying beast dozens of meters away. Perhaps Jang Gain has transcended the rank of Master and reached the legendary tier of Grand Master.”
“A, a Grand Master? Come now, surely that’s too much, isn’t it? A Grand Master is beyond reason.”
“After witnessing that, you still doubt he is a Grand Master?”
“What he’s doing is indeed extraordinary, but he lost to the dragon, didn’t he? So he may be a powerful Master, but a legendary Grand Master would have defeated the dragon.”
“Ah, perhaps you’re right. Master and Grand Master alike transcend our common understanding—we cannot judge hastily.”
The three fell silent for a moment, then all turned their heads toward the opposite direction.
In the distance, some ten figures were approaching them.
Eldom’s eyes narrowed as he watched, and then his brow furrowed.
“Aren’t those the people we saw on Moudun Mountain?”
“The knight and woman leading them do seem to be the same people.”
“Why are they coming this way?”
As the three exchanged glances in confusion, the group of ten drew near enough that a whispered word could be heard.
Dimitrion Marshal called out to them.
“What brings you to this place?”
“Ah, so you are knights sworn to the dragon. I am Meiruj Orphien, eldest daughter of Orphien, the lord of Sapphire Castle.”
“I see. But what business would you have in such a perilous place?”
“Once the dragon has defeated the demons and beasts and closed the gate, I thought it proper to offer my gratitude as the eldest daughter of the house, on behalf of my people and in memory of my deceased father.”
At her words, something flickered across Dimitrion Marshal’s eyes.
“Such gratitude can wait until the gate is closed and the Demonic Energy has dispersed. For now, this place is dangerous—please withdraw.”
“The demons, beasts, and magical creatures are all dead, their corpses piled like mountains. What danger remains?”
“If our swords turn against you, would that not be danger enough?”
Dimitrion Marshal raised his lowered sword, pointing it at Meiruj. Beside him, Sallin stepped forward and drew his blade.
“Your sword turns against us? What, what do you mean?”
“It means do not gamble with your life to satisfy idle curiosity. And it also means do not covet what little remains under the false title of a ruined lord’s daughter.”
“I do not understand your meaning.”
“The gate opened and ruined Sapphire, but now it seems the dragon and Jang Gain will restore it. You’ve come to claim your Fork, haven’t you?”
“A, a Fork? This land was clearly granted to our house of Orphien by His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of the Kram Empire.”
“The gate has been open and the land demonified for over two months. In all that time, did the Emperor send a single subjugation force here?”

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