Chapter 121: The Legend of 600 vs 1 (2)

A battle between the few and the many—this was an experience that any practitioner of martial arts could encounter at any time. However, being surrounded by six hundred armed warriors in full wedding attire at a wedding venue wasn’t exactly common.

Yet Pablo found himself enduring this very rare situation right now.

“Lo-Louis?” He desperately called out to the one responsible for creating this predicament, his face pale with fear.

All he got in response were words that only added fuel to his already burning anxiety:

“Hey there! Pull yourself together, Pablo! Our hero can’t be cowering like that!”

“B-but I don’t have any weapons!”

”…”

No, are you seriously telling me to face six hundred swordsmen barehanded?!

You’re being a bit too flippant about someone else’s situation, don’t you think?

Pablo was so incensed he couldn’t find the words; his insides boiled furiously instead. Had there ever been a crisis in Pablo’s life as dire as this one?

Oh yeah, I guess there has.

Looking back, forming an unexpected bond with three hatchlings while raiding caravans on the winter continent could have been seen as equally perilous. After all, it led directly to his current predicament.

…But that’s not important right now!

Coming abruptly awake from his thoughts, Pablo shouted:

“Louis!”

“W-wait, you’re joking with me, right? This has to be a prank! Please come out already!”

Louis ignored Pablo’s desperate cries as if they were nothing. The guards forming the cordon winced at his behavior, which bordered on insanity.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He seems crazy!”

While Pablo flustered about, Levans walked into the encirclement. His face made it clear how uncomfortable he was due to the plan going awry.

”…Where are the others?” One could guess how angry he was from the low timbre of his voice.

“My lord Louis!” However, Pablo acted like he hadn’t heard the question at all. He just kept desperately calling for Louis.

Seeing this attitude finally made Levans lose his temper completely.

“You fool! Where is the king?”

The people vanished with a burst of light, leaving only Pablo behind as it reappeared. From Levans’ perspective, this entire scenario seemed like one of Pablo’s tricks.

Pablo finally turned towards the source of the loud proclamation echoing through the banquet hall.

“Hm? Uh… That is…” He stammered, clearly intimidated by the enemies surrounding them on all sides. However, he wasn’t disloyal enough to reveal his allies’ whereabouts just because of fear. In fact, wasn’t Pablo so devoted that he had even taken in orphaned children?

Biting his lip, he suddenly roared, “I don’t know anything, you bastard!”

”…”

“Do you think I’d tell such a mad cur who doesn’t understand gratitude or loyalty, despite being raised kindly?”

Levans remained silent as he listened to Pablo’s words. In fact, Pablo’s coarse language only served to further enrage his loyal subordinates.

“That insolent dog!”

“How dare you run your mouth so carelessly!”

“We’ve elevated you from a lowly nobody several times over, but did you ever think you were truly anything special?”

His subordinates’ faces flushed red as they shouted in anger. Of course, Levans wasn’t immune to fury either—he was incensed, more so than anyone present. However, the way he chose to unleash his wrath differed entirely.

“Pablo, is it?”

At first glance, his voice seemed calm, yet those who heard it felt their hair stand on end. They knew all too well that this tone signaled Levans’ extreme displeasure.

And when he was enraged, the Duke’s family—the core of the pro-royalist faction—vanished that very night, never to be seen again.

”…You will die a most gruesome death,” Levans snarled. “Moreover, I shall unearth everything connected to you and bury it alive with your rotting corpse.”

The extreme fury concealed within his icy calm finally erupted.

Levans issued his command:

“Bring him before me, leaving only his life and tongue intact. It matters not if it takes days or weeks… for I shall personally extract the whereabouts of the king and crown princess from his lips.”

“Yes, sir!”

No sooner had the order been given than a human tide surged forward.

Though they lacked any sophisticated weaponry, their charge was undeniably menacing.

Pablo braced himself against this onslaught, biting down hard on his lip.

“Oh… oh shit!”

Though he feared he might have needlessly angered Levans, Pablo didn’t dwell on his regret. He felt a sense of relief having vented all that was weighing on his mind. The real issue now lay in how to manage the consequences.

“Die, you fools!”

Pablo evaded the sword of the warrior who had charged at him from the front, grabbed his arm mid-swing, and snapped it with ease.

Crack!

“Aargh!” The soldier screamed in agony as Pablo hurled him aside. In the process, two others caught in the fray tumbled to the ground alongside their comrade.

The wedding hall was vast, teeming with adversaries as numerous as they were relentless. Wave after wave of soldiers pressed their attack, forcing Pablo to fight tooth and nail against impossible odds. His only solace lay in the fact that these warriors averaged around fourth-tier strength—a far cry from what he could handle.

To Pablo, who was aiming for tier 2, they seemed like mere children, allowing him to hold his own without weapons. Of course, even that had its limits.

Whoosh.

“Argh!”

A blade whizzed in from the right, slicing through Pablo’s shoulder as blood splattered out. The wound wasn’t deep, but Pablo didn’t look good.

Damn these bastards!

The opponents he’d been facing up until now were slightly more skilled than before. As swords continued to fly at him, Pablo threw himself backward.

I can’t keep this up much longer!

Amidst the chaos, Louis’s voice rang out:

Pablo couldn’t tell if it was praise, encouragement, or mockery anymore. Fortunately, this time it seemed to be genuine admiration.

What kind of present in this situation?!

The question circled in his mind, but his body had already turned sideways.

Louis’s voice came simultaneously.

It was ridiculous to put his hand through a tightly closed glass window, but once again, Pablo faithfully reacted.

And then…

”…?!”

Pablo’s hand penetrated the window.

No, more precisely, it delved into the extra dimension Louis had spread over the window.

The moment he stuck his arm into that buzzing space, a familiar sensation touched Pablo’s fingertips.

Is this…?!

He grinned widely, pulled out what was caught on his hand, and swung it around.

Bang!

A massive explosion roared.

At the same time, the attackers who had reached the vicinity behind Pablo were all sent flying away.

The sudden turn of events caught the assailants off guard.

“W-What’s going on?!”

“Where did that hammer come from all of a sudden?”

Indeed, it was Louis’ gift – Pablo’s cherished war hammer.

Pablo’s self-esteem skyrocketed at this surprise present.

“Hahahaha! Come at me, you fools!”

As if venting his frustration from being pursued unarmed, he channeled elemental power and swung the hammer with reckless abandon.

Crash! Smash!

Each swing sent enemies flying.

While Pablo was immersed in battle frenzy, Louis’ voice rang out:

Huh?

I said don’t go overboard! Pretend to be overwhelmed and draw them in!

But why…?

Pablo couldn’t fathom what Louis was up to. However, during their two-year ordeal, he had come to realize one thing:

Just do as I’m told. At least we’ll see less blood that way!

Remaining faithful to his realizations over the past two years, Pablo put up a half-hearted resistance before retreating.

Pablo weaved through the encroaching enemy as Louis commanded. Those watching from above couldn’t help but grip their hands tightly in anticipation.

Oh God, Pablo…!

Surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, Pablo’s situation was precarious. His anxiety was plain on Page’s face; she prayed fervently for his safety.

Meanwhile, Pablo finally reached the door amidst the chaos. His once-white wedding suit was now torn and stained with blood.

Louis added another command. Amidst the onslaught, Pablo shouted:

“Leeeeaaanves!”

His voice boomed like thunder.

“Come back here! I’ll beat you black and blue when you get back!”

Bang!

The hammer smashed through the door, and Pablo darted outside.

Levens’ eyes blazed with fury at Pablo’s taunt. He turned to his aide.

“Is our army on standby?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Summon them immediately.”

Their original plan was to eliminate the king and then deploy their forces to root out the remaining Leon Revolutionary Army remnants hiding in the capital. But circumstances had changed drastically.

“Surround the castle with your soldiers right now,” Levans ordered. “Not a single ant must escape.”

“At once.” The aide signaled to a nearby guard.

Receiving the cue, the guard swiftly pulled out a signal flare from his pocket and fired it into the sky.

Whoosh… Boom!

A red light appeared atop the castle before quickly disappearing.

This was the signal for two thousand soldiers secretly amassed within the capital’s castle to surge forward like a tidal wave.

Once he confirmed the signal flare had burned out, Levans spoke again.

”…That bastard who escaped earlier.”

There wasn’t a soul in the room who didn’t know exactly who “that bastard” referred to.

“Bring him to me, no matter what it takes.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that order, all but ten of Levans’ guards left the wedding hall immediately.

The once bustling space now lay empty and desolate.

Levens surveyed the chaos left behind by the battle and muttered:

“That little rat.”

His voice was cold with rage, chilling those present.

But at that moment, even he remained unaware:

Who the real little rat was,

And which among them was walking straight into the trap.

The moment he stepped out of the door, Pablo’s body instinctively stretched to his left at the voice.

Yes!

Pablo nodded in response to the repeated commands. The guards who had poured out from the banquet chased after him. The palace attendants watching this scene were busy hiding themselves.

This is it—the crisis has finally arrived.

It was bound to happen!

No one was more attuned to the atmosphere than these palace attendants.

Screams erupted from the wedding hall where Princess Page was marrying. Soon followed by the sound of clashing weapons. With grim faces, the attendants concealed themselves, allowing Pablo to focus on his escape.

Following Louis’s command, Pablo glanced over his shoulder as he changed direction.

They’re really hot on my tail! Pablo thought, his face contorting into a grimace as he watched his pursuers closing in from behind. The sight of them all chasing after him like hawks on the hunt made him want to scream inwardly:

How long am I supposed to keep running away like this?!

As if responding to Pablo’s silent cry, another command came through:

The statue? But why…? Pablo wondered, though he didn’t question further. He just did as instructed. After sprinting down the hall, he reached the end where there stood a horse-shaped sculpture. Without hesitation, he swung his hammer with all his might.

Crack!

The force of the blow, fueled by his rapid approach, shattered the statue instantly.

Drrrmmble…

A small vibration rippled throughout the entire corridor.

And then…

KABOOM!

An explosion erupted beneath the feet of the guards who had been pursuing Pablo.