Lumard boarded the transfer gate. Meanwhile, I confirmed everything amidst the crowd before returning to my lodging. The gate's mana consumption had disrupted my schedule.
"Wow! He actually managed it. The head of the Martin family used the gate. I guess he's smarter than he looks. How did he manipulate them?"
"It's easy if you know what he wants."
"Let him be arrogant for now. I didn't expect him to succeed either."
My schedule with Robin was set for the next morning, when we would use the gate. I was curious to see his expression, which was usually emotionless.
"However, Lord, we shouldn't let our guard down yet," Oned interjected, prompting Nunez to snicker.
"Why not? It takes a whole day to recharge the gate's mana naturally."
"But it can be replenished artificially, you see," Oned explained patiently.
"What? That's absurd!" Nunez exclaimed, revealing his lack of common sense.
Oned continued, "Gates can be infused with mana. That's why the gatekeepers are chosen from mages of at least the second circle. There are times when urgent use is necessary."
"Ah... Wait. If the Black Knights recharge the mana?"
"Then it will be ready for use as planned tomorrow morning."
Oned is far more intelligent than Nunez. He seems more suited to being an investigator.
"Jed, did you know this too?"
"Of course, it's basic knowledge..."
"What are we going to do? This is like trying to steal a rice cake from a blind man."
"Our next operation is to disrupt this process."
The gate consumes vast amounts of mana. To recharge it by tomorrow morning, they would need to gather all the Black Knights.
If we can disrupt this, Robin will be caught off guard.
"But is it possible to interfere with the Black Knights? Honestly, with our skills..."
"You've forgotten already, haven't you?"
"What did I forget? Ah, wait a minute. Could it be...?!"
I smiled lightly and gazed out the window. The darkening sky signaled it was time to move.
Black Knight Commander, Robin
Robin looked displeased, his brow furrowed. The sky had grown dark, and dozens of Black Knights were injecting mana into the gate, hidden behind the 'Illusory Barrier'.
"Unexpectedly, the head of the Martin family has moved. Could it be because of the Seventh Lord?"
Jed's visit to Martin was known, but not the details of their conversation. Lumard's eyes couldn't be deceived, and the Black Knights planted around him were useless.
"What could they have discussed?"
As the Black Knight Commander, it was humiliating not to know this information, especially since it involved Jed.
Lumard had gone to Arhan, and Robin couldn't understand why or report it to the lord.
"Ugh...!"
As the commander, Robin received hundreds of reports daily from Black Knights spread across the empire. He had to assess and report the significance of these events to the lord.
Today's events would be a significant stain on his career.
"Just after receiving praise from the lord, I face this..."
He should have gone to Genevieve to beg for forgiveness, but there was something more urgent.
Robin urged the knights to hurry. "Finish before dawn."
"We're doing our best, but it will take some time."
"Hmm... Of all times..."
Suddenly, he regretted his earlier outburst. The promise to grant Jed's wishes had been reckless.
Gate management was a key duty of the Black Knights, and he hadn't anticipated problems.
"Wait a minute... Could it be?!"
A sinister feeling arose. Was all this part of the Seventh Lord's plan?
The sudden visit to Martin, Lumard using the gate personally... it all seemed too coincidental.
"Ah!"
It hit him like a hammer blow. The Seventh Lord was cunning; this must be his scheme.
The suspicion turned into certainty in no time.
"It's certain! Everything was planned by the Seventh Lord!"
They used Lumard to evade the Black Knights' surveillance network.
Robin's late realization left him speechless.
How could they have manipulated the head of the Martin family?
"They must have manipulated him into using the gate. Whatever the content, the aftermath will be unbearable..."
Even with the significant gap between Martin and Arhan, Lumard was still a family head.
Deceiving him was reckless and absurd.
"The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it is."
Jed's actions were unusually bold, but this was astonishing.
At just sixteen, his audacity was inexplicable.
--------
As Robin shook his head, a beast's roar echoed through the air.
—Grrr...!
"?"
In that instant, the black-clad warrior's gaze focused on one spot. Even the low growl was enough to make his shoulders tremble, revealing the immense presence of the creature.
Soon, green eyes flickered in the darkness.
"Black Cheetah...?!"
Robin immediately recognized the creature's identity. It was the first beast summoned by Jed, once known as the black beast of the north.
"So blatant...," Robin thought, understanding Jed's intentions. The appearance of the cheetah alone made it clear that Jed was trying to disrupt the charging process. It wasn't about showing off his summoned creature.
"Form a barrier at levels one and two! The rest of you, continue charging!" Robin quickly ordered.
Layer upon layer of defensive barriers were erected, and the remaining warriors accelerated the charging process. Standing before the cheetah, Robin raised his mana and shouted loudly towards Jed, who was somewhere in the distance.
"Seventh Lord! What kind of absurdity is this? How can the heir of Arhan attack the Black Guard?"
The Black Guard was not a combat unit; they had no power to stop the night cheetah. Robin's sharp voice echoed like a reverberation, but there was no response. The cheetah merely growled louder.
—Shuaaaaak!
"Ah!"
Black mana gathered around the cheetah's mouth, and a mana beam shot into the air, instantly neutralizing the layered barriers. The overwhelming difference in power caused Robin's face to stiffen.
"Seventh Lord! This is crossing the line! Stop immediately!"
With the barriers gone, there was no way to protect the Black Guard. Knowing the gap between them and the cheetah, Robin didn't even think of resisting. He just hoped Jed would stop.
Just then, a figure with red eyes walked slowly beside the cheetah.
"I'll stop, so halt the mana charging as well."
Thud, thud.
The cheetah, which had looked fearsome, growled contentedly as Jed touched it.
"Is the head of the Martin family also involved? Are you planning to interfere with the Black Guard?"
"I made a bet, and I'll do my best to win," Jed replied.
"A bet? How can you say that when you're interfering so openly?"
"There were no conditions for the bet except that it shouldn't disrupt my schedule. If you can't keep that, you have to do what I want."
"...!"
"Tell me, Robin, was there a condition in the bet that prohibited interference or intervention?"
Of course not. It was a remark thrown at the Seventh Lord, who didn't trust the Black Guard.
"I... I lost. I was completely outmaneuvered by this young boy."
It was hard to accept, but it was clear now.
"Stop the charging, or I'll summon the cheetah. If you persist, a bloody incident is inevitable."
"Are you planning to kill the Black Guard? What makes you think you can do this, Seventh Lord? Do you think the head will just let it pass?"
"Do you think the head will take the Black Guard's side? I'm asking you because you seem to be the one they trust."
Jed's red eyes shone brightly, reminding Robin of the Arhan lineage.
Robin couldn't respond and bit his lip.
"This is also part of the legitimate betting process. What's the problem?"
"You're truly cunning and sly, Seventh Lord."
"Take it as a compliment. It would be best to stop the charging for now. This creature doesn't have much patience."
—Kaaaang!
The cheetah roared loudly. The Black Guard warriors, who had been watching nervously, began to withdraw from the gate one by one. Robin could only watch silently.
"Sorry, sorry, Captain..."
"Shut up!"
-------
If the charging doesn't happen, it will disrupt the schedule, which means losing the bet.
Robin closed his eyes in resignation, then slowly opened them and let out a deep sigh.
"Very well, tell me what you want," he said.
"Finally, we can have a conversation," the other person replied.
The entire Black Guard unit retreated from the gate. The 'Bazl's Summoning Ring' glowed brightly, and the cougar's form disappeared. As the members breathed a sigh of relief, Robin maintained his expressionless face.
"Please, speak quickly. This situation is very uncomfortable for me," Robin said.
"It shouldn't be uncomfortable. We'll be working together from now on," the other person replied.
Robin's eyes flickered with surprise. "What do you mean?"
Just then, Jed chuckled.
"What I want is to become a member of the Black Guard," Jed said.
"You, the Seventh Lord, want to join the Black Guard?" Robin asked incredulously.
"This is absurd! A member of Arahant's lineage wanting to join the Black Guard?" Robin's surprise turned to shock as he grasped Jed's intentions.
"Did you truly want the Black Guard?" Robin asked.
"Yes. I want to be recognized as one of them, receive the same information, and advance based on my abilities," Jed replied.
"This is ridiculous! You're talking about becoming a high-ranking officer, eventually the head of the Black Guard..."
"Is that really what you want?" Robin asked.
"Yes. I want to take control of the Black Guard," Jed said.
"This is impossible! Don't you know the Black Guard is directly under the clan leader's command?" Robin exclaimed.
"I know. That's why I want it even more," Jed replied.
Robin sighed. "Let's pretend I didn't hear that. If you want to be the master of the Black Guard, you should first become the master of Arahant."
"No, it could also mean that whoever controls the Black Guard becomes the master of Arahant," Jed countered.
Robin's mind was a jumble of confusion. Was this a clever strategy or just nonsense?
"I know the capabilities of the Black Guard. If I control them, becoming the clan leader will be easy," Jed said.
"This is outrageous!" Robin exclaimed.
"Robin, just keep your promise to me. I want to be a Black Guard member with the same qualifications and treatment as the others. That's all you need to do," Jed said calmly.
Robin's focus slowly stabilized as he understood what Jed truly wanted: to become a regular member of the Black Guard. However, the Black Guard was not an easy group to join, as they collected information for the empire.
"Very well. If you want the same qualifications and treatment, you must go through the same process and tests. Do you agree to this?" Robin asked.
"Of course," Jed replied confidently, despite the warning tone in Robin's voice.