'A stick...?'

Arethusa looked astonished as she glanced at the human beside her. The sword sheath he was holding in his hands shone gold before the apparition a familiar club appeared, scattered, and disappeared. There was a great force that couldn't be described in words.

At the same time, Park Muyeol swung it. The sword sheath created a long and attributeless sword energy that flew toward Radon at high speed. Radon, who was trying to breath out flames, was exposed in a defenseless manner and was. .h.i.t by the sword energy. Radon's shadow could be seen falling through the fog created by a mixture of smoke and clouds.

“I'm surprised that it isn't a big deal,” Park Muyeol exclaimed, but in reality, he felt different. Radon only fell slightly. It rose through the fog with great pressure and Park Muyeol started to run away.

Michael followed him. “Teacher!”

“Who is your teacher? This guy!”

Arethusa watched the backs of two people running away with blank eyes. She hadn't known that this human was a.s.sociated with Hercules. Arethusa's face turned red at the thought that he was a descendant. Then Aegle and Erytheia approached her.

“Sister, what are you doing?”

“Put Radon to sleep, quickly!”

“...Uh, yes.” It was only then that Arethusa rang the bell again. Aigle and Erytheia also shook their silver bells and Radon, who was roaring and crying out fiercely, finally fell asleep like a baby.

“Phew. We survived. However, what will happen when Radon wakes up again?”

“Add the deception clouds over a stone around the same size to turn it into an egg.”

“Aha, Sister Erytheia is smart.”

“Huhut. I am your sister even if I look like this.”

Aegle and Erytheia laughed at each other. However, Arethusa couldn't laugh at all. She quickly flew toward the place where the two men fled.

“Sister?”

“Sister, where are you going?”

Arethusa ignored her sisters' calls as she kept searching for the two humans. Fortunately, they hadn't fled the area. Indeed, how far could a human run away? She followed them while recalling the past.

'Hercules...'

Hundreds of years ago, a human came here. His name was Hercules and he was introduced by her father, who was being punished at the time. Arethusa felt a strong attraction to Hercules who was strong, manly, and tough. It was definitely the emotion of love.

'Then in the end...!'

However, he betrayed her and fled. He tricked her and her sisters to steal the golden apples and even killed Radon using a poisonous arrow. Fortunately, Radon had a baby, but it was unknown how much time she spent in order to raise it again. The three of them were punished for Radon's death by being imprisoned here for hundreds of years. Arethusa couldn't forgive Hercules.

“I-will-kill-you!” Her loud roars entered the ears of the running Park Muyeol and Michael. The roar was so loud that the forest shook and a huge flow of magic power twisted.

“That crazy woman is going to kill us.”

“Teacher, should we get out of here now?”

“Of course. We have to go out.”

“Then I'm going to break the barrier. Get on.” Michael climbed onto his sand and reached out.

 In Park Muyeol's eyes, the power was distorted and this person was actually mounting the back of an evil spirit. “I don't like it.”

“This is much faster.”

“It can't be helped.”

Park Muyeol nodded and climbed up. Then the two of them rapidly moved to the place where the barrier was located. As his speed increased, Arethusa's voice steadily faded away. Michael saw the barrier in the distance and made two giant sand fists, swinging them. The clouds barrier shook and Michael waved his fists again.

“Ohhhh!”

He could make Desert Calibur and cut it in an instant, but it took quite a long time to make it. Arethusa's murderous voice was getting closer and Michael struggled with anxiety as he continued to punch. Just then, the clouds started to crack.

[The unknown power has temporarily weakened.]

[The phenomenon of distortion has temporarily disappeared.]

[The user's face is revealed.]

[The scorpion zodiac, 'Antares,' has found you...]

Michael received many messages as he was punching. He gained more power when he was once again connected to Antares, and the power contained in the sand fists increased. However, Michael was more concerned about his face being revealed. Above all, he was curious about the face of the Sword Sage who would be his teacher. He smiled as he turned his head to the side. There was a familiar grandfather standing there. 'T-This person...?'

The sword sheath in Park Muyeol's hand was engulfed in a gold light and turned into a giant club. This was Hercules's star relic that he experienced the other day, the Olive Tree Club. Park Muyeol's mouth twitched when he saw a message from Hercules.

Then he told Michael, “This is why I said I wasn't a Sword Sage.”

He jumped toward the cloud barrier and swung the club fiercely. A wave of great force shook the cloud barrier. It soon collapsed and caused an earthquake. Michael was shocked when he saw the fragments of the crumbling barrier.

* * *

I walked along the bustling streets of the Orca Kingdom with my group. This place had more users than anywhere else and it was so wide that I didn't know how long it would take to walk around the entire city. Would it take a few days?

“So it is best to look as good as possible when meeting the duke. Understood? Then...”

We walked together and Edward's shoulders were raised as he rattled on about the person we were going to see now.

The place we were heading to was Duke Doug's residence, the second most powerful man in the Orca Kingdom. This was the path to his mansion. Fortunately, it was only a short distance from where we got off the carriage, so we were walking slowly while taking a look around

Of course, none of the users recognized me because I was currently exposing my face. Some people just stared at me strangely because I was an elderly user.

“So you can get the highest possible position... Jackson! Are you listening?” Edward puffed up both cheeks and looked up at me with a sullen expression. It was so similar to my granddaughter Seohui that I almost pinched his cheeks.

“Ah, yes. I'm listening. I have to look good so I can get a higher position.”

“Ahem. Yes, that's right.” Edward opened his mouth again and started to explain.

I was annoyed and the words entered one ear and went out the other. To put it mildly, it was like this—Duke Doug, whom we were currently going to meet, was a.s.signed the job of giving n.o.ble positions to immortal humans, and if one performed well in front of him, one could get at least a higher status than quasi-baron. It was common for immortal humans to take the position of baron.

“I think we're here.” Kerenos pointed and I saw a huge mansion. It was smaller than the mansions in Fortren that pursued capitalism, but the residences in the Orca Kingdom seemed more magnificent in terms of design and dignity.

The guards protecting the entrance blocked us. “Why did you come?”

“I've made an appointment.”

“What is your name?”

“Edward von Charles.”

A security guard received a piece of paper and checked it. Then he bowed to us. “Welcome, my lord.” 

“Yes. Where is the duke?”

“I'll guide you.

We followed his instructions to find Duke Doug. Edward was definitely treated as a n.o.ble here. A short time later, I stood in front of an elegantly decorated door. Edward and Kerenos waited in the VIP room while I nervously knocked carefully on the door.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

I opened the door once I heard a pretty old-sounding voice from behind the door. There was an old man with white hair and a white beard. He was a bit fat, but he was dignified. If Edward's explanation was correct, he was Duke Doug, the second most powerful man in the Orca Kingdom. Currently, he was taking measurements for a custom tailored suit. He turned his head while keeping his arms spread open and spoke to me, “You are the one that Earl Edward has offered to vouch for?”

“Ah, yes. That's right.”

“Hmm. You are older than I thought.”

Before I came here, I heard that Windia had created a simple profile for me. This person must not have read it. I couldn't help being a bit angry. Was old age a sin? He was also old. In any case, politicians didn't have any luck.

The duke spoke to the other person in the room, “You can go out first. You will be certain to make my clothes look good, right?”

“Yes. Of course, my lord.” 

The designer measuring him bowed politely and raised his head. Then he saw me and we both looked shocked.

“You...?”

“Buroder?”

It was Drain who had gone to the Orca Kingdom.

* * *

Park Muyeol and Michael were able to escape from the barrier. It was a lava field north of Hesperides. Fortunately, Arethusa never stepped out of Hesperidas and the barrier to chase after them. However, the words she shouted from inside the barrier were enough to frighten Park Muyeol.

'Hercules, I'm going to kill yoooooooou—!'

Park Muyeol recalled Hercules' message and noticed there was something deeper between them. However, it didn't matter. The important thing was that he was alive. Park Muyeol wiped his sweat and drank the juice of the Tadaman Tree.

“Kuahh! Good.”

Michael was just staring blankly. He couldn't believe his eyes.

'When did it start?'

Michael still couldn't believe that the grandfather was 'Park Muyeol.' He knew this person well because he had watched the Colosseum event. This old man was a beginner who just started the game. Additionally, he was a grandfather. It was surprising and interesting that an old man could use such a high level of swordsmans.h.i.+p, but Michael never dreamed he would be a figure of this skill level. Thus, it was even more astonis.h.i.+ng. He was ashamed that he misunderstood this grandfather as a Sword Sage.

Michael covered his face and gave a deep sigh of embarra.s.sment.

“Hah...”

“Don't sigh. We've come out. Tsk tsk.”

Park Muyeol seemed displeased at Michael's actions. Michael looked at his face once again and sighed deeply. Just then, a surprising message appeared.

[A constellation who likes sticks is saying that Michael was the first successor candidate.]

[1] The duke's name is actually 'Duke' romanized using the English p.r.o.nunciation while the word for the position of 'duke' is the Korean word. So his actual name is Duke Duke, but it doesn't read strangely in Korean. However, that is too strange in English so I ended up going with Doug.