Rumble, rumble, rumble!

“E-earthquake!”
“Evacuate! Everyone, evacuate!”

The soldiers, overwhelmed by the constant tremors shaking the underground tunnels, scrambled to give evacuation orders. The fear of the tunnels collapsing and burying them alive spurred them into action.

However—

“I told you to take the prisoners with you, didn’t I?”
“B-but, Your Highness…”
“It’s not Your Highness. Call me Sir Aren! I am on official duty right now!”
“Y-Yes, Sir Aren!”
“I will not tolerate disobedience. Take all the prisoners listed, and ensure they come with us.”
“Yes, sir!”

Under Aren Pendragon’s orders, the soldiers had no choice but to escort the prisoners out.

“L-light! It’s sunlight!”
“Move! Move faster! If we all die here, it’ll be your fault!”
“I’m s-sorry!”

The prisoners, who hadn’t seen sunlight or clouds in ages, didn’t have time to enjoy the sight. Desperation fueled their rush to escape. Yet, the joy of survival made even this natural disaster seem like a blessing.

Normally, even if the tunnels collapsed, prisoners serving life sentences wouldn’t be expected to escape. That was the unyielding rule.

But—

“As I’ve said before, only those listed on this ‘document’ are to be taken. If anyone not on the list is found among them, eliminate them immediately.”
“U-understood!”

The royal bloodline held the power to overturn all such principles.

With his gray hair, sullied by the tunnels’ grime, washed clean and his signature white hair—a symbol of Pendragon—shining in the light, Aren’s presence commanded obedience. His soldiers, though trembling with fear, carried out his orders without much complaint. They considered his commands fair and just.

“He really is of royal blood, ensuring that no one dies unjustly.”
“The ones on the list are hardly criminals. Most of them were just framed or scapegoated.”
“They call him the Noble White Lion, and it’s no empty title.”

Among the prisoners trapped in the tunnels, the few with minor offenses—those wronged by nobles or falsely accused—were the ones being saved. The soldiers couldn’t help but respect this display of nobility.

Yet for Aren, the recipient of such praise—

“Damn it…”

—it was nothing but humiliation.

He felt disgusted, as though stealing someone else’s reputation.

‘Even I am just following orders!’

The list he’d acquired by pressuring the Guild and the command to rescue prisoners wasn’t an act of mercy. It came with a dire warning:

“If even one of those listed is missing, it’ll be a hundred lashes per head. Don’t forget.”

It was pure coercion. Aren hated the absurdity of breaking the law as a royal, but he dared not voice his complaints for fear of retribution.

Yet—

“Th-thank you, Sir Knight! Thank you so much!”
“I-I was told I’d see my mother in a year if I endured, but I thought I’d die without ever seeing her again. Thank you, truly…”
“Thank you for sparing us…”

Damn it!

Hearing the gratitude of the prisoners—many of whom appeared innocent—Aren felt something stir in his chest. What was this feeling?

“Stop with the thanks and focus on escaping! You there, your leg seems injured—get on my back.”
“I-I might dirty your armor…”
“Don’t make me repeat myself!”

At some point, Aren realized his fear of monsters had given way to a sincere desire to help these people. That realization would only fully dawn on him much later.

“Say what you will, but his character isn’t completely heartless.”
“Indeed. In moments like this, the title ‘White Lion’ suits him perfectly.”
“He truly seems noble and brave, just like the White Lion of legend…”

Swish!

Elsewhere in the tunnels, Jake and Yord were cutting down any ‘dangerous criminals’ trying to escape alongside the legitimate prisoners. They dispatched their targets with cold efficiency.

Some of these criminals had clearly learned combat techniques, likely members of the Blood Cross Army attempting to defect.

“Loyalty means nothing to scum like them.”
“What can you expect from cultists—or rather, garbage like this?”

Whoosh!

Yord swiftly swung his blade at a charging prisoner. His horizontal slash, executed with the speed of the wind, left no room for hesitation.

Slice!

The clean cut ended the fight in an instant.

His swordsmanship was nothing short of extraordinary, living up to the title of the academy’s top new recruit of the year.

Not to be outdone, Jake, the senior knight, braced himself—

Thud!

Pow!

“Unlike that guy, I can’t deflect swords or arrows, but I’m still sturdy enough to handle this.”

Jake weathered attacks with his body, emerging unscathed.

Jake had been the first person to learn Force under Lee Han’s tutelage, even before it was taught to the cadets. Though treated as an experimental subject, Jake’s innate talent as a knight had made him an exceptional student.

Now, he had mastered Vajra’s Might, a feat previously thought exclusive to Lee Han.

And so—

“Don’t bother being born in your next life. The air you breathe is wasted on you.”

Cultists stood no chance against him.

Slash!

In a single clean movement, Jake’s Iaido sliced through the necks of all who dared attack him. It was as if he were harvesting crops with a scythe.

His skill was far beyond that of a mere intermediate knight, demonstrating the caliber of a true master.

Jake exhaled lightly, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Phew, is it done?”
“We’ve dealt with most of the cultists, but… they’re only a fraction of the total.”
“…True.”

Though Jake and Yord had taken down over fifty, hundreds of prisoners remained.

And all of them—

“They must be deeper inside.”
“Could Senior Lee Han have been right about another passage…?”

Even with the earthquakes and explosions, the hundreds of prisoners hadn’t moved.

Clearly, they had something to rely on.

“Phew… just how many traitors are there?”

Now, whether they wanted to or not, they would learn the truth.

Deep within the tunnels imprisoning the convicts lay hidden facilities unknown even to those who managed them. A suspicious force had taken root there, expanding its influence.

This wasn’t the work of some run-of-the-mill terrorist group or a mere religious cult.

Someone was backing them.

Someone with immense power.

“…Let’s focus on handling the current situation first. Getting stabbed because you’re distracted thinking about something else benefits no one,” Jake said.

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…Because you sound just like Senior Lee Han right now.”

“M-me?!”

Jake looked utterly shaken. To suggest that he resembled that shameless knight in speech—what an outrageous insult!

Did this mean he was just as insufferable?

“I—I’m not that bad!”

“You are. Exactly the same. Hehe.”

“You little—!”

Jake felt his blood pressure rising as he glared at his sly junior, who smirked mischievously. This was the same junior who used to be a model of diligence. How had he turned into such a trickster?

‘It’s all because of that guy.’

Lee Han.

Though he called him a friend, he was nothing more than a troublesome acquaintance.

Ever since their paths crossed, Jake couldn’t remember a single uneventful day.

“Hah…”

Still, Jake’s gaze drifted toward the pitch-black depths of the tunnels, where Lee Han was likely still fighting.

‘Are you okay in there?’

He wanted to help but restrained himself, knowing he would only be a hindrance. Lee Han always performed better when fighting alone.

Yet, he couldn’t help but feel disheartened. Being stuck handling the aftermath only reminded him of his own inadequacies.

“Tch. If only I were the Northern Black Lion right now.”

“The Northern Black Lion? Are you talking about the deputy commander of the Black Iron Lions?”

“You’ve heard of him?”

“His accomplishments are legendary, not just in the North but throughout the entire kingdom. Maximus Iron de Lionel, the famous ‘Giant Slayer.’”

The Giant Slayer—Maximus.

A knight who singlehandedly felled a Frost Giant.

Among the young knights representing the southern continent, his feats and reputation stood on a completely different level.

“…I’ve only heard the stories. Is he really that strong?”

“I’ve only seen him once, and even then, it was by chance. But…”

“But?”

“He’s strong. Incredibly strong.”

Jake couldn’t forget.

Back when he was still training under his father, a knight and his mentor, they had traveled near the northern region. Along the way, they encountered a group of northern knights.

Among them was him.

• “Haha! A fine knight in training, I see!”

Even though Maximus had been in his teens at the time, his presence, build, and aura surpassed even seasoned knights like Jake’s father.

• “Haha! For a white kitten, you’re surprisingly sturdy. How about it? Care to take a blow from me? I won’t promise you’ll survive, though. If you die, well, that’s just how knights live. Hahaha!”

 

Jake had never seen anyone stronger.

His father had this to say about him:

• “The light of Providence sometimes bestows an extraordinary blessing on one individual every hundred years. A talent so rare it’s said to occur once in a million lifetimes.”

• “And what about me?”

• “You’re one in a hundred, lad. Hahaha.”

• “…”

• “Don’t ever fight someone like him. As terrifying as he is now, he’ll only keep growing stronger… endlessly.”

 

Jake couldn’t argue. The presence and aura Maximus exuded were undeniable.

At the time, he thought he’d never meet anyone like him again in his lifetime.

But then—

‘That guy changed my mind.’

The anomaly Jake encountered later in life wasn’t the product of Providence. He was someone who gained his strength through trials and adversity—a blend of raw talent and unrelenting perseverance.

A chimera of sorts.

Someone like Lee Han.

Jake chuckled despite himself, feeling a little guilty for mentally comparing a person to a hybrid creature.

‘I’ll buy him a drink later.’

…After all this was over.

Slash!

Jake’s blade harvested another head from a beast wearing a human guise.

Meanwhile, two figures, hailed as a once-in-a-million talent and a chimera forged through trials, faced off deep within the tunnels.

“So, why are you here?”

“Haha, I was just doing a bit of spy work. But somehow, I always end up being chased as a suspicious figure. No idea why…”

“…I feel like I know exactly why.”

“Hmm?”

Lee Han and Maximus stood with their weapons trained on each other, sword and axe poised to strike.

Neither made a move to lower their weapon, maintaining their tense standoff.

And observing them—

“Excuse me, we’re about to get buried alive here…”

Rumble, rumble!

Derrick pointed to the falling dirt and debris around them, his voice desperate.

Unfortunately—

“You put your sword down first.”
“How about you lower your axe?”

“…”

Neither knight showed the slightest sign of yielding.

At that moment, Derrick thought:

…No matter the world, men die early because of their stupid pride.