Chapter 132: Start of Subjugation
Four Invisible Sage Hands hovered around Edgar, each one firmly gripping one of the enormous Sword-Clubs.
The weapons floated around him like four massive beasts waiting for his command.
Edgar stared at them for several seconds before letting out a deep sigh. "...This is going to take some practice."
He slowly moved one of the weapons.
WHOOSH!
The Sword-Club swept through the air with tremendous force.
Edgar immediately followed with the second.
WHOOSH!
CLANG!
The two weapons smashed into each other.
The collision sent a sharp metallic sound across the clearing, while Edgar’s expression became slightly awkward.
"...Right."
He carefully repositioned the weapons before trying again.
This time, the first Sword-Club swung from the left while the second moved from the right.
WHOOSH!
CLANG!
They struck each other again.
Edgar closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
"Calm down."
He slowly adjusted the position of all four Invisible Sage Hands.
The weapons were simply too large.
Controlling one wasn’t difficult, but controlling four simultaneously required him to constantly calculate their positions.
’If I move this one first, then the second has to follow half a second later.’
Edgar began moving again as one Sword-Club swept forward and the other followed from above.
The third moved behind him while the fourth remained prepared for a counterattack.
WHOOSH!
This time, none of them collided.
Edgar’s eyes brightened slightly. "...Better."
He continued practicing with all four of the weapons.
With every movement, he became more familiar with the weight and momentum of the weapons.
Although the Invisible Sage Hands removed most of the physical burden, they couldn’t completely eliminate the difficulty of controlling something this massive.
As he practiced, Edgar’s thoughts slowly returned to the Northern Sect.
’The biggest problem is still the Soragon Bazaar.’
BOOM!
He swung the first weapon downward as the ground cracked beneath the impact.
’If I can take control of the Bazaar before they have time to call for reinforcements, everything becomes much easier.’
The second weapon swept sideways.
WHOOSH!
’But if the leader manages to send a message to the alleys of the Northern Sect, things will become troublesome.’
Edgar’s expression gradually became serious as he didn’t want to fight multiple people all at once.
His current Fortress was strong, but it wasn’t strong enough to fight an entire sect indefinitely.
’I need to cut the problem at its roots.’
The third Sword-Club moved forward while the fourth followed behind.
This time, their movements were almost perfectly synchronized.
’Take over the Bazaar, remove their influence, and make sure nobody has a reason to come looking for me.’
Edgar’s eyes narrowed. "Those bastards..."
He couldn’t help muttering under his breath.
The Northern Sect had already become more troublesome than he wanted.
And if they continued growing around his territory, eventually they would become a much bigger problem.
Still, there was another possibility.
Edgar’s movements slowed slightly.
’If things really get out of control...’
His gaze unconsciously shifted toward the Fortress. More specifically, toward his own house.
’Hera could become the public face of the attack.’
She already had a connection with the people.
She was kind, gentle, and much easier for ordinary civilians to trust than an unknown person like Edgar.
If the people believed Hera was the one leading the resistance against the Northern Sect, it could make the transition much smoother.
Edgar’s expression became complicated. ’But using her like a pawn feels wrong.’
He didn’t want to drag Hera into his political games.
At the same time, he didn’t want to turn the Soragon Bazaar into a battlefield and cause hundreds of unnecessary deaths.
There had to be a better solution. "...I’ll decide later."
Edgar pushed the thought aside.
His attention returned completely to the weapons.
As his thoughts became clearer, his movements also became smoother.
One attack flowed naturally into another.
The four massive weapons moved around him without colliding.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
CLANG!
Edgar’s Invisible Sage Hands redirected the weapons before they could touch.
Half an hour passed almost unnoticed, and by then, Edgar had developed a surprisingly good understanding of their movement.
He stopped the four Sword-Clubs in midair.
"...Not bad." He looked at the enormous weapons with a satisfied expression. "They’re much easier to control now."
Edgar slowly lowered them onto the ground.
The four Sword-Clubs landed beside each other.
THUD!
The ground trembled slightly.
Edgar looked at them for a moment before stepping away.
The weapons were far too heavy for ordinary people to move anyway, but Edgar still didn’t want anyone experimenting with them.
He looked toward the sky as the grey-black fog that had covered the forest was beginning to thin.
The Eternal Night was slowly approaching.
"...It’s already time for the attack."
Edgar turned around and walked toward the Fortress Wall.
He hadn’t gone far when he noticed someone familiar approaching from the opposite direction.
"Young master!"
Andrew’s voice immediately caught his attention.
Edgar looked toward the young boy and smiled. "Andrew."
The boy hurried over with a bright expression. "It’s been a while."
Edgar nodded. "Yeah, we’ve both been busy."
Andrew smiled awkwardly. "I’ve barely seen you these past few days."
Edgar looked at him for a moment before asking, "How are things with Viera?"
The young boy’s expression immediately softened.
"Mother is doing well." He smiled proudly. "She’s actually really happy with how things are going."
Edgar nodded with satisfaction. "Good."
Andrew walked beside him as they continued toward the Fortress Wall.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then Andrew’s expression slowly changed. "...Young master."
"Hm?"
"I’ve been feeling strange lately."
Edgar looked toward him.
"What do you mean?"
Andrew hesitated before answering.
"I don’t know how to explain it." He rubbed his arm nervously. "Sometimes I feel like something bad is going to happen."
Edgar’s expression became slightly serious. "Have you noticed anything unusual?"
Andrew shook his head.
"Not really." He looked toward the ground. "It’s just a feeling."
Edgar thought for a moment before gently patting his shoulder. "Don’t worry too much."
Andrew looked up. "I know, but..."
"We have guards everywhere, Soul Guardians, Watch Towers, and the Fortress walls."
He smiled faintly. "Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it."
Andrew nodded slowly. "You’re right."
The two finally reached the Fortress Wall.
Edgar stepped onto the battlement and looked toward the forest below.
The Northern Sect camp had become much larger. Tents surrounded the Fortress from several directions. Unbroken Fire burned brightly throughout their temporary positions.
Hundreds of soldiers waited beneath the grey-black sky that was almost gone.
The Eternal Night had arrived.
At that exact moment, several Watch Towers across the Fortress began glowing.
Their enormous crystals illuminated the surrounding forest.
Edgar stood silently on the wall as he looked toward the enemy camp.
There was no hesitation left in his eyes as the time for preparation was over.
Edgar slowly raised his hand.
A faint golden glow appeared beneath his skin.
"...Shall we start?"