Joshua walked out after finishing his conversation with Akshuler. Itd turned dark without him realizing.

He already knew where he was going, though. Getting lost would not be an issue, given that hed memorized the area in his old life.

I need a better idea of whats going on. The Mercenary King is moving much earlier than I expected.

Joshuas face belied a hint of frustration, but he really wasnt all that surprised. If he had been, he wouldnt have taken in Duke Altsma.

The Pontiers have no advantages over the Crombells. Dropping Altsma into that would be like a rainstorm in the middle of a drought. His fists clenched. I know how strong Cain, Icarus, and Duke Altsma are. With them on the Pontiers side, they have a chance at pulling throughbut that comes with a cost. I was supposed to be there by the time the Mercenary King made his move. My strategy was flawless

Joshua frowned. The reason hed been so confident was because Akshuler was here. The Mercenary King was going to make his move after the Master Battle; but when Akshuler won the Master Battle and challenged the Mercenary King, the mercenary guild would be in chaos.

I was too shortsighted. He should have expected the Mercenary King to act as soon as Akshuler lost to Ulabis. His assumptions had been proven entirely wrong in spite of his confidence.

In any case, Joshua becoming a Master was creating ripples of its own. For the time being, he decided to keep an eye on the situation.

This path leads to the Empire. We must find Ash; everything else is secondary. The last thing I need to do is heal Princess Sersiarin. Only she knows where.

Joshuas eyes gleamed and he redoubled his haste.

He stopped in the middle of Reinhardt. Before him was a massive buildingthe headquarters of the Moon Gate, the best intelligence agency on the continent.

I need information to make plans. Ill confront my obstacles head-on.

A beautiful castle over Reinhardt like a crown jewel. Therein, at the summit of the Palace, sat a middle-aged man with a lions mane of hair and bright eyes. He was the Lion King, Ryan Geiger, current ruler of Reinhardt and one of the Twelve Superhumans.

Only the finals remain. How much longer do I have to wait until Im your subordinate?

The other person smiled in response to his half-joke. The lord of this castle represents the whole of Reinhardt. Id prefer that its future owner be stronger than me, if at all possible.

A toothless tiger, then? Good thing Im still king. Ryan shook his head.

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Nagasins will has been passed down from generation to generation. Im delighted to continue the heritage of Reinhardt.

Nagasins hammer The Lion King nodded. Might makes right here, in a way unlike anywhere else on the continent. If you have the talent, you could even become king. We both feel the allure.

No one else is ridiculous enough to try this.

Well, a free knight like myself couldnt even conceive of the idea otherwise. Geiger laughed.

On Igrant, society divided itself on the providence of birth; the individual was worth less than an animal. Whether it was a free knight or the most powerful noble, no one could challenge the status quo without arousing the ire of every other power in the nation.

So, the Lion King asked, Who do you think will emerge victorious from this Master Battle?

The other man only had to think for a moment.

From the wonderful showing hes had so farparticularly that awe-inspiring storm in the semifinalsit has to be Joshua Sanders, from Avalon. He exceeded all expectations. But His voice became thoughtful. Prince Ulabis is different from his other opponents. If Akshuler had been in Group A, the final match would have been a rematch

Youre saying that Joshua Sanders is a tier below Akshuler.

He nodded without hesitation. His opponents did not live up to their names.

The Lion King looked thoughtful.

What are your thoughts on the Prince?

Hes obviously something incredible, the Lion King replied. In a straight fight, Id have to sacrifice an arm to win.

The other man was astonished.

Is this the same person I know? He was one of the Twelve Superhumans, the undisputed strongest people on the continent.

He only just became a Master. Is he really that?

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Yes. That fire worries even me. And if my eyes were not deceiving me, he still has more power in store.

Thats thats Is this really the same person?

He let out a deep breath. The Lion King, his liege, had never been one to lie. On top of that, he was immensely talentedeven compared to the Nine Stars. If Ryan was saying that, he had no choice but to accept it.

Whew I suppose Ill have to renegotiate. That aside, its going to cost a fortune to repair the colosseum.

Oh. The Lion King chuckled. Youre worried about that?

Im responsible for the budget, first and foremost. He hesitated for a moment. I hope Joshua Sanders wins this Battle, not the Prince.

Ohhh? The Lion King was surprised; normally, the other man was steadfastly objective. It was very unusual for him to offer his opinion. I think this might be the first time youve made your wishes known.

I didnt mean for it to sound like that. Im just curious.

Joshua Sanders has captured many hearts in this Battle. Because of his magic? Something else? Geiger shrugged. Actually, I dont think the Prince will win, contrary to what you seem to believe. I just never said anything.

Is that so, the other man replied. He didnt look surprised.

Hohohoho.

Joshua! How long has it been?

Joshua was hailed as soon as he walked through the door.

If youre always going to show up whenever I visit the Moon Gate, I think its safe to say that that person is in control now.

You dont think its because I adore you so much? Jero swooned.

Joshua peered at him. You seem to have a reasonable amount of authority here. Looks like youve attained a rather prominent position.

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What makes you think that? Jero smiled.

Two reasons. First is that youre in the Moon Gates headquarters rather than in the Arcadia branch.

If thats it, Im a little disappointed. Jero looked dismayed. Internal reassignments are more common than you seem to believe. Theres nothing like a headquarters.

Dont be ridiculous. But anyways, Ive got another reason.

Well, youve come this far. Jero grinned. Why dont you tell me?

Joshua returned his grin.

Theres no possible way an ordinary branch manager would be responsible for greeting someone like me.

Jero gave him a lopsided smile.

In an organization as large as the Moon Gate, Joshua noted, such terrible customer service would never fly.

Its been a long time since we last met. Now youre oh so smooth. You make my heart flutter!1 Jero leaned towards Joshua. The Master is in attendance, he whispered.

Joshua froze.

You mean the owner of the Moon Gate?

Yes and my Master, as well.

Hes here? Joshua was astonished. Hed done business with the Moon Gate in his old life as well, but the owners identity had never been revealed. It was a natural result of the organizations structure.

Come on. Ill take you to him.

Joshua stared at Jeros back, his mind churning behind his eyes. He hastened after Jero, towards a place that had not admitted outsiders for several years: the fifth floor of Moon Gates headquarters.

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