NOVEL NEXT Chapter 156: Identity
"Really?" The Red Bear Tribe Chief's face lit up with joy.
"Hurry, hurry, invite him in," he ordered.
The man who brought the news nodded and rushed back out.
Richard could only stare in disbelief.
Moments later, the barbarian returned with a young man — perhaps around seventeen years old — with black hair, a somewhat slim build, and a bright, striking face.
Richard didn't recognize him, but his aura was extraordinary — vast and oppressive — revealing that he was extremely powerful.
Richard could sense that his strength was at least on par with Luca's.
"Who are you? Do you truly have the antidote for the Holy Lily Poison?" asked the Red Bear Tribe Chief.
"Indeed. Take a look — I'm giving it away for free. I received it from my teacher," the young man said, pulling out a small bottle filled with a boiling blue liquid.
He casually tossed the bottle toward the Red Bear Chief.
The moment the chief caught it, his expression brightened.
He clearly recognized it as the genuine antidote.
Without a second thought, he rushed to his wife's side and poured the liquid into her mouth.
The effect was immediate — the white glow pulsing through her veins flickered, then vanished.
Her breathing slowly steadied, though she remained unconscious, likely needing time to restore her vitality.
"It worked!" The Red Bear Chief looked elated.
He turned again toward the young man.
"Young Master, thank you for your help. Are you truly asking for nothing in return?" he asked, his tone suddenly courteous — a stark contrast to his usual roughness.
"As I said, I'm giving it freely," the young man replied with a faint smile.
"Who… who are you, really?" The Red Bear Chief asked, curiosity burning in his eyes.
Everyone else was equally intrigued. The antidote was rare and priceless — the fact that he'd just handed it out freely was almost unbelievable.
"You probably don't know me. I'm just an ordinary member of the Order of the Crimson Veil — Liam Hemsworth. I'm a disciple of Duke Ethan Holystar," the young man said, introducing himself.
Upon hearing that, Richard finally understood what was going on.
He was probably sent by Ethan — to retrieve his slave.
And to think he had used this opportunity to disrupt Richard's plans.
Now that the Red Bear Chief's wife was cured, there was no longer any reason for them to seek Richard's help.
But Richard had already taken their Aether.
What would happen next?
"Alright then, Chief, I'll be taking my leave," Liam said.
As he turned to go, his sharp eyes locked onto Richard.
"Boy, we'll meet again soon," he said coldly.
Richard couldn't be bothered with him right now — not when the barbarians were staring at him with bloodthirsty intent.
"Chief, this was your own choice," Richard said calmly.
He could have helped cure the poison — if the Fire Spirit Queen had acted — but the chief had chosen to accept Liam's antidote instead.
It was a logical choice, but Richard couldn't be blamed either; he had already been compensated.
At that moment, Arthur gripped his sword's hilt.
It seemed he had secretly called for reinforcements — soldiers were now gathered just outside the door.
A conflict was about to erupt, and they were unafraid to fight.
The Red Bear Chief furrowed his brows as he saw the soldiers appear.
If a battle broke out here, he knew his people were at a disadvantage — they were deep in enemy territory.
After a moment of silent thought, the chief finally made his decision.
"We'll leave. Give us some time to prepare," he said.
Hearing that, Richard gave a faint smile.
"Of course. You're free to go," he said, turning to leave, followed closely by Arthur and his soldiers.
Richard felt the situation was unfortunate, but since things had turned out this way, he could only face whatever came next.
With his newfound power, fear was no longer something he felt.
'But that man…'
Richard couldn't forget how he had been humiliated.
That had to be repaid.
'For him to know what was happening inside the inn, there must be a powerful Magus following him,' he thought.
---
When Richard returned to his castle, he told Arthur, "If Liam comes, tell him to wait until I allow it."
He was certain Liam would show up, and he planned to wait for the Fire Spirit Queen to deal with the person backing him.
Once that person was dead, he could do whatever he pleased to Liam.
Richard then went to his room, sitting calmly, forgetting everything else as he focused on his power — trying to find his own way to become one with the world.
It was said this process always took a long time, but who knew — perhaps he could achieve it faster.
With his eyes closed, his concentration deepened.
He could feel everything around him, trying to connect his body with the world itself.
He didn't know how much time passed before he suddenly caught the scent of a refreshing, fragrant aroma.
His eyes opened instinctively — and before him stood a beautiful woman with straight crimson hair.
Who else could it be but the Fire Spirit Queen?
Richard was slightly surprised that she had come directly to his chamber.
But he had no improper thoughts — the Queen clearly saw him only as a child.
"Did you find anything, Your Majesty?" Richard asked.
"The news was spread through a powerful Sixth Sense to many loose-tongued individuals," the Fire Spirit Queen replied.
"I couldn't trace who started it, but it was clearly a strong Magus — at least a Peak Ruler Magus. Boy, as someone with an extraordinary talent, it's natural that such things happen to you. You don't need to know who wants you dead."
"People die because they don't know who their enemies are," Richard replied evenly. "If I knew who it was, couldn't I just send you to kill them and eliminate one future threat?"
The Queen frowned, her brows knitting tightly — she seemed to recall something from her past, a mistake born of pride and idealism.
"Your Majesty," Richard said again, "do you sense any powerful presence nearby?"
"Yes…" she replied. "But only a Ruler — nothing worth mentioning."
"I see… Then stay here. I want you to help me deal with that Ruler," Richard said with a faint smile.
It seemed the Order of the Crimson Veil had concluded that the red-haired woman aiding Richard was only a Ruler. Or perhaps that was Ethan's personal assumption.
But it made sense — even for Ethan, he could likely only send a Ruler-level Magus to guard his disciple.
Being influential within the Order didn't mean he could easily command those stronger than himself.
Every Ruler was a respected senior. To have the authority to give them orders, one needed truly immense achievements.
Ethan had probably paid a heavy price for it.