The Main Characters That Only I Know - Chapter 381:

Yu-hyun strode forward without hesitation toward the place where Kang Hye-rim was.

At the entrance of the room, where Kang Hye-rim was presumed to be, soldiers clad in black armor and cloaks stood blocking the way.

“Stop. No unauthorized individuals are allowed in here.”

“Move aside.”

The soldiers guarding the entrance were, at best, high-level collectors. In terms of level, they barely reached 80.

Back on Earth, such individuals would have been considered elite, few and far between in each country, but in the mixed world, they weren’t anything remarkable.

“You, you insolent fool!”

Before the soldier, who thought himself insulted, could point his spear, Yu-hyun ‘s hand lightly touched his chin. The soldier’s eyes lost focus, and he collapsed as if crumbling to the ground. The other soldier, who had been watching, was dealt with in the same way.

After easily subduing the two soldiers guarding the entrance, Yu-hyun threw the door wide open.

In the center of the spacious room, Baek-hyo had fluffed up all his feathers, and Kang Hye-rim was hugging him tightly, trembling in fear.

Surrounding Baek-hyo were soldiers of the Salio Empire, and one man, who seemed to be the leader, was just about to reach out toward Kang Hye-rim.

At that sight, Yu-hyun ‘s eyes blazed with fury.

“Huh, huh? Who are you?”

“What the hell were those guys outside doing?”

The soldiers, belatedly noticing Yu-hyun ’s entrance, reached out to grab him, but they couldn’t even touch his collar.

Moving swiftly like the wind, Yu-hyun grabbed the wrist of the man who was about to touch Kang Hye-rim.

“Huh? What the—?”

“Get your hand off her.”

Without any intention of listening, Yu-hyun tightened his grip on the man’s wrist.

Only then did the man realize that Yu-hyun wasn’t an ordinary person. His face twisted as he tried to muster all his strength, but it was futile.

“Grr, ggh!”

He gritted his teeth, veins bulging in his neck, as he desperately struggled, but he couldn’t shake off the strength of Yu-hyun ‘s single hand.

‘W-who the hell is this guy?’

Not only had this person appeared out of nowhere, but his strength was also absurd. At this level, it was something only a lord-class being could achieve.

“T-this bastard is attacking Lord Patrick!”

“Take your filthy hands off him!”

As the soldiers, who had missed Yu-hyun ’s earlier actions, hastily drew their weapons and aimed them at him, Yu-hyun glanced at the soldiers of the Salio Empire.

“All of you, kneel.”

“What…?”

Before the man with the second-highest rank could even finish questioning Yu-hyun , a tremendous pressure bore down on them from above.

Boom!

Without exception, the soldiers of the Salio Empire collapsed to the ground like frogs, flattened under the overwhelming force.

Seeing this, Patrick’s face turned pale. The elite soldiers he had brought had been subdued with just a single command.

“W-who the hell are you…?”

“You don’t get to ask questions. What were you trying to do by laying your hands on Hye-rim?”

“What?”

“Was that too difficult of a question for you?”

Crack!

As Yu-hyun applied more pressure to the man’s wrist, a scream escaped from Patrick’s clenched lips.

“Argh! Stop! Stooop!”

“Stop? Do you not understand the situation? Are you giving me an order?”

Screech.

The gauntlet on Patrick’s wrist began to warp with a grating sound. The crushed metal pressed heavily against Patrick’s muscles and bones.

Patrick cried out in desperation.

“P-please! Let me go!”

“Answer the question.”

“I-I was told to bring the Black Thunder Lord… the Black Thunder Lord…”

“You call that an answer…?”

“That’s enough.”

At that moment, a clear, elegant voice resonated through the room.

Yu-hyun turned to face the owner of the voice, his expression showing a hint of surprise. The figure had appeared without a trace, unnoticed until they spoke.

‘There was no sign of their presence until they spoke.’

That meant this person’s skill was at least lord-class. No, with this level of stealth, they might even be one of the few Executors.

“Who are you?”

Yu-hyun glared at the woman with a sturdy build and black hair. A large scar ran across her face, and she wore an eye patch over one eye. She stood over 180 centimeters tall.

More than anything, the aura she exuded was on a completely different level from the others around her.

“I am Piren, the personal knight of First Prince Patrick, whose wrist you currently hold.”

“First Prince? This idiot?”

Yu-hyun hadn’t even imagined that Patrick carried such a grand title as a prince.

Patrick, recognizing Piren as his savior, shouted desperately at her.

“Piren! Help me! Kill this insolent man!”

“Haa, Your Highness. Please stay still. Do you even know who you’re talking to?”

“Who the hell is he for you to speak like that!”

“This man is the Book Pile Lord we’ve been searching for.”

“What?”

Patrick turned to look at Yu-hyun , his expression dumbfounded. Seeing such a clueless reaction, Yu-hyun couldn’t help but doubt whether this man was really the First Prince.

Yu-hyun then checked on Kang Hye-rim’s condition. Fortunately, she seemed unharmed. If Baek-hyo hadn’t protected her, who knows what could have happened…

As that thought crossed his mind, a murderous intent surged up within him again. Facing Yu-hyun ’s murderous gaze, Patrick’s face paled even more, and Piren instinctively placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“Stop.”

“…”

“If you draw that sword, all of you will die by my hand.”

“…You sound confident.”

Yu-hyun gave Piren a cold look as he warned her.

“Would you like to test it?”

‘What kind of eyes…’

The moment Piren met Yu-hyun ’s gaze, she felt as if countless insects were crawling up her spine.

She had already heard of the Book Pile Lord’s reputation. Before coming here, it was said that he had fought and defeated the Executor, Sword Lord Choi Do-yoon. Honestly, Piren hadn’t believed it.

Choi Do-yoon was a warrior she had acknowledged. Even though they were both called Executors, Piren painfully knew that she couldn’t come close to Choi Do-yoon in swordsmanship.

But the fact that the Book Pile Lord had defeated him? That would mean the man standing before her was stronger than Choi Do-yoon, an Executor, and an even greater warrior.

‘That can’t be true.’

He wasn’t even one of the first-generation Divine Spirits, so how could an individual possess such power?

Piren hesitated. Should she draw her sword and cut off the wrist of this arrogant man?

Normally, she wouldn’t have hesitated to attack. But this time, something felt different.

‘Something feels off.’

Her instincts warned her that drawing her sword now would lead to something catastrophic.

As one of the few Executors in this union, she had risen to this rank through countless battles. And at this moment, all her experience was sending her an unprecedented warning.

Piren found herself in a dilemma, unable to draw her sword, yet also unable to let go of its hilt.

But just then, Baek Seo-ryeon and Kang Yura arrived through the open door.

“Yu-hyun !”

At Baek Seo-ryeon’s shout, Yu-hyun immediately withdrew his killing intent and let go of Patrick’s wrist.

Patrick, barely released, collapsed to the floor without even managing to step back. His legs had completely given out under Yu-hyun ’s oppressive killing intent.

‘This is impossible. I, the legitimate Crown Prince of the Salio Empire… I, who have transcended… am reduced to this state just from facing his killing intent?’

Even though he gritted his teeth in anger at this realization, he couldn’t muster the courage to look up at Yu-hyun .

Though he didn’t want to admit it, he had already etched a deep fear of Yu-hyun into his bones.

As Patrick lay helpless, Piren stepped forward and helped him to his feet.

Baek Seo-ryeon, observing the situation, narrowed her eyes and glared at Piren.

“What is an Executor of the Salio Empire doing here?”

“I heard rumors of a terror attack at the Central Administration. I happened to be passing by and decided to check.”

That was a lie.

There was no way she would coincidentally show up at such an opportune moment.

It was clear that they had already planned to use the terror attack as a pretext for something else.

“You wanted to meet the Book Pile Lord, didn’t you?”

“There was some thought of that, yes.”

“How unfortunate. It seems your first meeting has left the worst possible impression.”

“…”

Piren remained silent, staring at Baek Seo-ryeon. Normally, people would avert their gaze under such circumstances, but Baek Seo-ryeon stared back without flinching.

In the end, Piren was the one to look away first.

“It is unfortunate.”

“You missed your chance to take the Black Thunder Lord hostage and use her to strike a deal with the Book Pile Lord?”

“You seem to view us in a very negative light. I had no such intention.”

“But I’m sure His Highness Prince Patrick had other thoughts.”

Piren neither

confirmed nor denied Baek Seo-ryeon’s sharp words, only giving a strange smile. It was as if she was saying, “Think what you want.”

Baek Seo-ryeon frowned at her dismissive attitude.

“So, what was your real purpose for coming here?”

“I told you. I came because of the terror attack.”

“This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Why suddenly now?”

“The fact that the Branch Head’s office was targeted makes it different. Yet it seems to have escaped unscathed.”

Baek Seo-ryeon scoffed at that.

“Are you suggesting that I should have been taken away? There have been several terror attempts before this one. More than once, there’s been poison in the tea I was about to drink.”

“That sounds frightening.”

“Well, I’m sure someone out there is frustrated that their thorn in the side is still alive and kicking. This time, your visit is just an excuse for something else, isn’t it?”

“Have they caught the culprit?”

Baek Seo-ryeon deftly responded to Piren’s abrupt change of subject.

“They haven’t been caught yet, but we have a good idea who it is. It’s likely those who have borrowed the power of external Great Army forces to act from within.”

“Or it could be a staged act, deliberately making it seem like they’ve been attacked.”

“You seem very confident. Is that because it didn’t go according to your plan this time?”

“Hmph. Think what you will. Let’s go, Your Highness.”

“I, I…”

Patrick, still hesitant to leave, remained rooted to the spot.

It wasn’t just his pride that had been shattered; he had a mission to recruit the Book Pile Lord.

And if that failed, he had been ordered to at least bring back the Black Thunder Lord…

Piren sighed at Patrick’s reluctance.

“Are you seriously thinking of saying such things now?”

“W-what?”

“Look at the situation. The plan has already failed. How much more disgrace do you intend to bring upon the royal family?”

“…”

Patrick’s face turned bright red, but he couldn’t offer any rebuttal to Piren.

Outwardly, Patrick appeared to be in control, but in reality, it was Piren who commanded him.

After silencing Patrick’s petty defiance with a few words, Piren bowed slightly to Yu-hyun before leading her subordinates away.

“Is Hye-rim okay? And what about you, Yu-hyun ?”

“Your concern should be for those who’ve left like defeated soldiers.”

“I’m not worried about them, because there’s no need to be.”

“We’re fine. Hye-rim is, too.”

Kang Hye-rim, who had been hiding in Baek-hyo’s embrace, dashed toward Yu-hyun and threw herself into his arms. Baek Seo-ryeon watched the scene with a complicated expression.

“Will she be alright?”

“Hye-rim still doesn’t have all of her memories back. She was on the brink of death, and I barely brought her back. To recover her memories, we’ll need help from other comrades.”

“…You’re doing all this for Hye-rim?”

“What happened to Hye-rim is all my fault. It’s my responsibility to restore her to who she was.”

Yu-hyun had resolved to bear all of her sins. From the moment he had killed the Black Thunder Lord and revived her as Kang Hye-rim, the Sword Queen, he had been prepared to face the consequences of his actions.

Seeing the seriousness in Yu-hyun ’s eyes, Baek Seo-ryeon found it hard to argue further.

“Haa. I guess there’s no helping it. But we have to be careful from now on. With even Executor Piren showing up here… I think it’s only a matter of time before they make more overt moves.”

“That’s how it seemed. For someone to bring an Executor at such a coincidental time… and to top it off, the First Prince of the Salio Empire himself.”

“What you saw was only a fraction of their forces. The main army is likely elsewhere.”

“When you say the main army…”

“Yes. It’s probably the elite forces of the Salio Empire, with more lords in their ranks.”

Baek Seo-ryeon stared anxiously into the distant horizon beyond the city, as if the enemy forces were already lurking there.

* * *

“What will you do now?”

As soon as they left the Central Administration, one of Piren’s subordinates asked her eagerly.

“We abandon the original plan.”

“You’re giving up on recruiting the Book Pile Lord?”

“Yes. We’ve messed up from the very first step. You must have sensed it too. The Book Pile Lord has turned against us. There’s no recovering from this.”

“T-that’s…”

The subordinate, who had witnessed the situation firsthand, couldn’t argue.

The Book Pile Lord had defeated Executor Choi Do-yoon, an individual of immense power. Letting someone like that walk free was deeply unsettling.

They had hoped to at least take the Black Thunder Lord, but somehow, she was no longer the person they knew.

“That wretched Branch Head made her move first. If things continue like this, the delicate balance of power that had tilted slightly will soon return to its original state.”

“Then, could it be…?”

“Yes. We move to the next stage.”

“Are we doing it now?”

“If not now, there won’t be another chance.”

The Executor Choi Do-yoon from Earth was recovering from his injuries in Lindel, and the most dangerous power, Seo Sumin, was nowhere to be found.

Though Yu-hyun ’s sudden appearance was unexpected, this was their best opportunity.

“Kill all the leaders.”

“I anticipated this and have already gathered the men.”

At her subordinate’s words, Piren smiled and nodded.

“Good. That’s what I called them for. They’d better prove their worth.”

Piren’s gaze shifted to a group of cloaked figures hidden in the distant alley.

If the balance of power inside couldn’t be overturned, what was the solution?

The answer was to bring in another force from outside.

“It doesn’t matter how many die. Make sure it’s done.”

With that, Piren donned a robe her subordinate had prepared in advance.

“I’ll take care of the Book Pile Lord myself.”