Ranker's Return

Supplementary Story 11

“Are you sure this is okay?” a young man with brown hair asked with a concerned expression.

This didn’t work no matter how he thought about it.

"Don't worry. The duke has just entered the palace, so it will take three hours for him to return, no matter how quick he is. In three hours, we won’t even be in the capital any longer. He will never find out.”

A blond-haired man placed his hand on the shoulder of the brown-haired man.

“Still... I’m sure Teacher will find us... I don’t know about you, but I will really die,” the brown-haired young man, Lebron cried out.

The blond-haired young man in front of him, Alexander, would be okay no matter what he did. It was because he was the 1st Imperial Prince of the empire. His teacher, Duke Blake, couldn’t rebuke him too much.

‘I am different.’

Meanwhile, Lebron himself was different. He was from a rural nobility and had to lead the Knights of Keon after Duke Blake. He was scared of the aftermath.

“We have done it more than once or twice anyway. What is wrong with you now? So... you really don’t think we should go?”

Alexander raised an eyebrow. Time was urgent. He couldn’t afford to spend a lot of time here. If Lebron didn’t want to go, then he would go alone. He didn’t often get a chance like this.

“Then go. I’m going too,” Lebron quickly responded when he saw Alexander acting like he was about to leave. He was scared of the future, but he couldn’t abandon the opportunity in front of him.

“As expected, if you are a man then you just have to do it.”

Alexander smiled brightly. For more than 10 years, it had the effect of instilling ideas that were close to brainwashing.

“Tear it.” Alexander took out a white paper and held it out to Lebron.

“Is it a scroll? Where are we going?” Lebron asked while grasping the paper. He wanted to know the destination they were going to move to.

“It is the Beiku Earldom in the western part of the empire. It is an undeveloped place for an earldom.”

Alexander had thought about it for months before selecting the Beiku Earldom. The Beiku Earldom was suitable in all ways. The population and the development of the city was appropriate. The monsters in the area weren’t too threatening either. It was a city that Alexander and Lebron had no reason to visit.

‘That is why I chose it.’

“Hurry up and tear it. I want to leave even one second sooner.”

Alexander shot toward Lebron while already tearing apart the scroll he was holding.

“Understood.”

He had already disappeared by the time Lebron answered.

“Teacher, I’ll take a break for just two months. Two months,” Lebron muttered incomprehensible words when left alone in the training ground. Then he tore apart the scroll in his hand.

A few hours after Lebron and Alexander disappeared, a silver-haired, middle-aged man appeared in the training ground. The silver-haired man was John Blake, the owner of the training ground and the teacher of Alexander and Lebron.

“You guys...!!!”

John Blake instinctively realized it as soon as he saw the empty training ground. It was the fact that Alexander and Lebron hadn’t left the training ground, but ran away. His anger was brief. John Blake quickly regained his composure.

“They have escaped more than once or twice.”

John Blake walked leisurely toward the decorative pedestal where a sword was. Then he pulled out the sword.

“I have a solution.”

John Blake pointed the sword toward the floor of the training ground. Then green energy poured out of the sword and Lebron and Alexander appeared on the ground of the training ground. The words and deeds of the two men were reproduced. John Blake confirmed what happened in his absence and a corner of his mouth rolled up.

“The Beiku Earldom... they ran away to a place I never thought of.”

John Blake threw the sword in his hand into the training ground and immediately exited. It was time to go and catch his foolish disciples.

***

“Is this the Beiku Earldom?”

Lebron, who tore the scroll one step later than Alexander, turned his head and looked around. The view in front of him was full of thick trees and mountains that gathered together to form a mountain range.

‘Is this the western part of the empire?’

It was strange. He had never heard of this type of terrain in the western part of the empire.

‘This isn’t the west...’

“This seems like the eastern part of the empire?”

That’s right. This dense mountain range could only be seen in the eastern part of the empire. For example...

“You are correct. This is the eastern part of the empire. It is the Balder Mountains,” Alexander walked through the large trees and answered Lebron’s question.

“Why?”

Lebron looked at Alexander with a stupid expression. He didn’t understand the current situation. Why did Alexander deceive him?

“Why? Are you a fool? How many times have we escaped?”

Alexander was frustrated with Lebron.

‘A fool who only knows the sword.’

The idiot in front of him didn’t seem to think.

“There are artifacts hidden in the training room. It seems that our appearance and conversations were all saved.”

Alexander was very sensitive to magic power. One day, he felt a strange sensation from the training ground and searched for it. As a result, he found artifacts that had the ability to store images.

“I sent us to the other side of the continent, so I would’ve earned at least one month.”

Alexander used the artifacts in reverse. He leaked misinformation and lured John Blake there.

‘As expected, this prince...’

Lebron admired Alexander's deep heart. At the same time, he admitted that this person was fully qualified to lead the empire as the next emperor.

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Not long ago, it has been rumored that a black magician’s dungeon has been found in the Balder Mountains.”

“A black magician’s dungeon? I’ve never heard of it before.”

Lebron looked puzzled again. It was impossible for him not to know if a dungeon had been discovered, let alone a black magician’s dungeon. Black magicians were an achievement of the empire. The Knights of Keon, the number one knights of the empire, would be bound to receive the news.

“Of course, it is information that I personally obtained.”

“Personally?”

“There is nothing in the world that money and power can’t do, let alone in an era like this.”

Alexander gave a subtle smile.

“Still, how can a man who is the imperial prince of the empire...”

Lebron shook his head and sighed. Alexander was clearly referring to an intelligence organization.

‘It could be mistaken as rebellion...’

There was a big difference between other nobles creating an intelligence organization and the prince creating one. Nobles couldn’t aim for the throne but an imperial prince could.

“Who are you worried about? I am Alexander. I am the one who will be the master of the throne.”

Alexander patted Lebron’s shoulder and disappeared into the woods. Lebron followed Alexander into the woods.

‘You followed well, Lebron.’

Alexander checked the plan while feeling Lebron’s aura behind him.

‘You think this is a simple dungeon expedition, right?’

It was not the case. In fact, it had a lot of different meanings. First of all, it was a test of the abilities of the intelligence organization that Alexander himself created. Additionally, it was an opportunity to awaken a talent called Lebron, who would become a pillar of the Yusma Empire in the future.

‘Please don’t let me down, Lebron.’

Alexander was in a hurry. It didn’t matter what the result was. He had to finish everything he planned before the variable called John Blake appeared. Everything would be in vain once he came.

“Follow me quickly, Lebron.” Alexander’s footsteps were very busy.

***

John Blake spent three days searching the Beiku Earldom. To be exact, he looked at the Beiku Earldom and the surrounding areas. However, Alexander and Lebron weren’t found. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t see them with his own eyes. He didn’t even hear anything about the two of them.

‘Patient, be patient.’

“Now I have to think about my dignity.”

John Blake managed to suppress his anger. His decades of training and the title of duke supported the process.

“Did they deceive me?”

This disgusted feeling didn’t go away. He wanted to find his two disciples straight away and drag them to the training ground. He just endured it because he couldn’t find them.

‘This is definitely what Alexander did.’

Lebron wasn’t the type to do this. At least, for now.

‘It might be different after he steps into politics...’

Now he was just desperate to get stronger. In other words, he was a fool who knew nothing but the sword.

‘It must be hard to find.’

John Blake realized that it was a thorough plan, not an accidental action. He was convinced that he would never find his two disciples.

“I’ve been away for too long.”

Additionally, John Blake was a busy man. Three days was not short for him. Three days was a length of time where the things he needed to deal with could pile up like a mountain.

‘The news will come soon...’

John Blake was convinced that the two of them wouldn’t be able to stay quiet. It wouldn’t be long before they caused an accident.

‘I will wait for that day.’

John Blake had a cold smile as he pulled out a scroll and tore it.

***

“I think the rumor was wrong. What dungeon...”

Lebron shot a mocking look toward Alexander. It was a full three days of wandering through the Balder Mountains. During this time, they couldn’t even find anything resembling a dungeon, let alone a dungeon.

“I marvel at your brain that thinks finding a dungeon is so easy.”

Alexander didn’t mind Lebron’s ridicule. He was waiting for things to flow as he expected.

‘I think he said it was today...’

He hadn’t heard the news he had been waiting for yet. He needed more time. He needed something to kill the rest of the time.

“Aldred,” Alexander called out someone’s name toward the air where there was no one.

“Are you crazy?”

Lebron clicked his tongue at the sight. He thought that Alexander had finally lost his mind in this situation that hadn’t worked out as he desired. However, this was Lebron’s illusion.

Aldred, a man with a huge spear on his back, appeared in the air where there was previously no one.

“I greet you, Alexander.” Aldred knelt down in front of Alexander.

“What is the progress?”

Alexander naturally made eye contact with Aldred. Then Alexander’s pupils shook slightly to the left.

‘Left? Ah!’ Aldred’s eyes followed Alexander’s. There was a brown-haired man with a surprised expression.

‘Lebron!’

Aldred recognized Lebron instantly. At the same time, his brain spun quickly.

‘What should I say?’

Aldred knew all about Alexander’s purpose. He had to know. He was the one who traveled all over the empire at Alexander’s behest and prepared for this.

“I think you’ll find it in another three hours or so.”

Alexander chuckled when he heard Aldred’s answer. Then he turned to Lebron and opened his mouth, “Did you hear? It is three hours.”

“Don’t you think moving together will reduce the time even more?”

Lebron’s expression had returned to normal.

“No, there is work to do.”

“Work to do?” Lebron asked with wide eyes.

***

“Is this what I have to do?” Lebron’s roar echoed in the cave.

“This is a dungeon, a dungeon. There are corpses and treasures.”

Alexander’s lips curled up in a smile.

In front of him was a corpse holding a broken sword.