Ranker's Return

Supplementary Story 3

There was a roar, and the huge walls and gate started to shake. At the same time, the space near the gate shattered like a glass window.

“Is this right?” Tung-E asked with a bewildered expression.

It was a sight that couldn’t be understood with the knowledge and experience he had acquired so far. Alexander had clearly said that he was going to knock on the door.

‘Is this a knock?’ Tung-E wondered inwardly. The concept was completely different. It seemed like he had to redefine the concept.

“I just showed an act worthy of the word knocking, Tung-E.” A corner of Alexander’s mouth curled up, and his gaze turned toward the wall. “Look. The ones we are looking for have appeared.”

It was as Alexander said. There were now many people on the walls, which was in great contrast to how there hadn’t been a single person just a moment ago.

“Yes, but... No matter how I think about it, this doesn’t seem right Master.” Tung-E shook his head. This wasn’t right no matter how he thought about it. It didn’t make sense to go about things like this.

“Intruders!”

“We are being attacked!! Prepare for a counterattack!!!”

The shouts from above the walls alone proved that Alexander’s actions weren’t the right ones. As Tung-E and Alexander were talking, Yelleun finished praying and ran over to Alexander to question him in a stuttering manner, “What is going on, Alexander? Why...?”

He couldn’t accept the sight in front of him for a reason that was different from Tung-E’s.

‘I knew he was strong, but... I didn’t know it was to this extent...’

It was astonishing. Yelleun had never seen such a sight before. Certain spaces were broken down like it was nothing special. Based on Yelleun’s common sense, such a feat should be impossible.

“Shall I say it again? I just knocked on the gate. It is in order to get in there.” Alexander didn’t even look at Yelleun. His eyes were constantly fixed on the walls. “So... go ahead and open the gate. That is why you are still alive.”

The moment Alexander finished speaking, Yelleun’s body shot toward the gate.

“That person... Isn’t he Priest Yelleun of the Temple of the Sun?”

“How can a person who left to wander around do such a thing?”

“A corrupted! He has been stained by evil!”

The noise from above the walls grew louder as Yelleun approached the gate. People who recognized Yelleun’s face soon appeared.

‘Corrupted? Me?’ Yelleun started laughing.

A corrupted—this was something he never thought he would ever hear in his life. It might be different if it were someone else though.

“I prayed to God with all my heart just a few minutes ago!” Yelleun said. Golden divine power started to be released from his body. It was an act to prove his identity.

“His divine power... is intact?”

“Isn’t he corrupted?”

“How can the corrupted use divine power?”

Yelleun’s actions confused the people on the walls. They couldn’t do anything about the divine magic that was cast. It was because they couldn’t produce unfair victims through a hasty judgment.

Just then, Alexander’s voice came from behind Yelleun: “I came to see the Saintess of the Moon.”

It was clear as if he were talking in their ears.

“Saintess?” Yelleun turned back to look at Alexander. Alexander’s words were astonishing.

‘How does he know the Saintess?’

The Saintess was famous only in the Holy Kingdom and had been forgotten on the continent. There weren’t many Saintesses in the first place. In addition, there were many cases where they didn’t go to the continent and lived only in the Holy Kingdom.

‘How does he know?’

Just as Yelleun was looking at Alexander with questioning eyes, someone shouted loudly from the city walls, “I know who you are based on the way you are looking for the Saintess. It isn’t like the rumors. I heard that you were seriously injured... Of course, I said this as soon as I heard the rumor. ‘Ridiculous! It can’t be true!!’”

The name of the middle-aged man who shouted was Andersen. He was one of the most prominent paladins of the Temple of the Moon in terms of skills, faith, and age.

‘Andersen knows Alexander?’ Yelleun was even more confused. Based on what he knew, Andersen hadn’t left the Holy Kingdom in over 20 years.

‘Is this guy famous?’

It would be impossible for Andersen to know Alexander unless Alexander was famous.

“Alexander... Alexander...” Yelleun muttered Alexander’s name to solve his lingering questions. They were quickly resolved by Andersen’s words that followed.

“There is no way that the master of the noble empire can be defeated by the undead. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty Alexander?”

‘The emperor of the empire...? Alexander is that Alexander?’ Yelleun’s face turned white in an instant. Alexander and Andersen continued the conversation, regardless of Yelleun’s surprise. To them, Yelleun was no longer there.

“As expected, you are a talented person I covet. Sir Andersen, have you had a change of heart? Now that I am older, I can give you the position of marquis, not earl.” Alexander looked at Andersen and recalled the past. The memories were from when he first met Andersen until the time when he offered Andersen asylum.

“My answer is always the same, Your Majesty.”

“Did you say you would live for the Holy Kingdom?”

“In fact, I said it was according to the will of God, not the Holy Kingdom.”

“Isn’t the empire in God’s will? It is a bit of a shame.” Alexander walked slowly toward the wall with a sorry expression. “Tell me at any time if you change your mind. The position is always empty.”

“Even if you say so, my will won’t change.”

Alexander appeared in front of the gate in an instant.

“Open the gate! How long are you planning to leave the master of the empire outside?” Andersen shouted when he saw it. The gates that seemed to be several meters long were pushed to the sides. With Tung-E on his shoulder, Alexander passed by Yelleun and entered through the gate.

***

Alexander naturally entered Reme, one of the key cities of the Holy Kingdom. It seemed as if this wasn’t the Holy Kingdom but the Yusma Empire.

A seven-colored bear sat on Alexander’s shoulder and said, “Master.”

“Why did you call me?” Alexander turned his head to look at Tung-E. There was affection expressed on his face as usual.

“Is this the right destination, or do we have to move from here again?” Tung-E had a question. The Holy Kingdom was a name for a country. It wasn’t one city. This meant that the city at which they had arrived might not have the family that Alexander was looking for.

“I don’t know either if it is here or another city.” Alexander’s reply wasn’t incorrect. He didn’t know precisely where his family was. It was just that his family had headed to the Holy Kingdom and kept in touch occasionally.

“However, there’s someone who knows.” Alexander turned his head again and gestured to someone with his chin. The place where Alexander’s chin was pointing was where Andersen, the middle-aged paladin, was walking slowly.

Andersen saw what Alexander wanted and came up with the answer straight away: “The Saintess is on a pilgrimage, so she is traveling through the Holy Kingdom.”

“Has she passed through Reme?”

“Reme is the last city of the pilgrimage, Your Majesty Alexander.”

Alexander looked pleased when he heard the words.

“Is that so? Then we don’t have to move.”

It had been a while since he started wandering the continent, so it was time to take a break somewhere.

“What’s with that face?” Alexander frowned when he saw Andersen looking at him like he was a pooping dog.

Andersen stood firmly in place like he had something to say. “Aren’t you going to ask about the imperial prince?”

Words about the imperial prince eventually popped out of Anderson’s mouth. The imperial prince meant the son of the emperor. It also meant Alexander’s son.

“He must be following his mother.” Alexander had a look of indifference. It was like he was talking about someone else’s son, not his own.

“The imperial prince is 20 years old. He’s past the age to follow the Saintess, Your Majesty.”

“He left the imperial palace because he liked his mother’s arms. How can he change just because he became a bit older?”

Andersen stopped walking and his eyes widened. “What do you mean, Your Majesty? Don’t you know why the Imperial Prince left the empire with the Saintess? The Saintess took the young Imperial Prince and came to the Holy Kingdom because...”

Andersen’s words couldn’t continue. It was because Alexander stopped him in the middle.

“Is that so? I don’t remember well because it was so long ago.”

“If Your Majesty says so, it must be.” Andersen nodded with a strange smile. The reason Alexander was doing this was obvious. It was the beauty walking in the distance.

“I greet the Saintess of the Moon.” Andersen bowed his head faster than anyone else and drew the sign of a cross.

“I greet the commander of the Paladin Knights.” Angela, the Saintess of the moon, bowed her head and drew the sign of the cross like Andersen.

“It has been... 10 years?” Alexander stared at Angela for a long time before slowly opening his mouth.

“10 years? It has been exactly 11 years and 9 days.” Angela’s eyes flashed.

“I don’t remember.” Alexander received Angela’s glare flexibly. It hadn’t been just a day or two. Just as Angela said, this was a gaze Alexander received after 11 years and 9 days. Moreover, it had only been done through a magic crystal ball previously.

“It has been a long time since we’ve seen each other in person.”

It was a bit strange because it was the first time in ages that he was facing Angela.

“What?! What did you say just now?!” Angela’s eyes started to burn.

“11 years and 9 days. That is how long I’ve suffered from government affairs, furthermore without my family. It would be strange for me to be sane.” Alexander shrugged off the pressure coming from Angela.

“Do you want to try fighting it out now?!”

The more Alexander did that, the more the pressure emanating from Angela deepened. It was so violent that it was hard to see it as a divine power.

At this moment, something very surprising happened. The emperor, the absolute ruler of the empire, bowed down. “It isn’t like that... Let’s resolve it through a conversation...”

Upon hearing Alexander’s words, Angela restrained her pressure but poured out words like crazy instead: “You didn’t want to go. You didn’t want to come. You wouldn’t even allow a magic circle to be installed. You refused everything. What do you mean by coming here now?”

Angela found Alexander’s words too ridiculous.

“Did I do that? My memory...” Alexander scratched the back of his head and repeated what he had said before. Then he quickly took Tung-E and moved his feet. Alexander jumped through space without leaving a single afterimage as if he had used Blink dozens of times. His figure disappeared in an instant.

“Where are you running away to? I won’t let you go!!” Angela saw Alexander disappearing and also kicked off from the ground. Just like Alexander, Angela disappeared in an instant.

“Huhu... You are still like this despite all the time that has passed...”

Andersen saw it and burst out laughing.

‘They are a pair that match really well.’