"Among all the slackers in the Unarmored Union, there are still some who take their work seriously."
As Daniel stared at the massive ballista bolt falling from the sky, the Aurum Roy and Platinum, both with their hands on their bows, didn't make a move—they seemed to be waiting to see what would happen.
However, the other Aurum, Monique, had her bow glowing ominously—clearly she was already activating her Originium Arts.
Compared to Roy and Platinum (Hintelaia), Monique was undoubtedly more dedicated. In fact, one could argue that even the three Ferrum weren't as devoted as she was.
Her only problem was her luck. In the original plot, she had a string of unfortunate events—her missions were always interrupted. She even tried to duel Shining, which was brave, to say the least. Thankfully, Shining had mellowed a lot after meeting Nightingale and Nearl. Had this been the old Shining, Monique likely wouldn't have made it out alive.
"Good timing... but unfortunately, you chose the wrong opponent."
Just as Monique was about to release her arrow, Daniel suddenly turned toward her with a mysterious smile—and then vanished.
In his place appeared a middle-aged Kuranta with short golden hair.
"Room. Slaughterhouse."
The sudden appearance of the man shocked Roy, Monique, and Platinum. But no one was more stunned than the Kuranta himself.
Just moments ago, he'd been positioned over a kilometer away, in what he thought was a completely safe sniping location.
And now he found himself in the middle of the park, where Daniel had been standing—and Daniel was nowhere to be seen.
But there was no time to process it. The attack had already arrived.
"RAAAH!"
Facing imminent danger, the Kuranta shouted and released a burst of golden light, forming a glowing armor around himself.
Boom!
A brilliant explosion of light engulfed the small park, causing trees, flowers, and grass to tremble violently from the shockwave.
Luckily, Daniel had chosen a secluded location—there weren't many witnesses. But those who were keeping an eye on the situation took note.
"Incredible. Even under those circumstances, he managed to avoid a fatal hit. As expected of a Ferrum."
As the light dissipated, Daniel emerged from the side, slowly clapping. The golden armor around the Kuranta had vanished. The massive ballista bolt had pierced through his abdomen, pinning him to the ground.
There was also a wound on his left shoulder—Monique's doing. Under normal circumstances, even with her Originium Arts, hurting a Ferrum would be extremely difficult.
But with the ballista bolt descending, the Ferrum had no chance to deal with Monique's strike.
As the one who had fired the bolt, he knew its power better than anyone. In ideal conditions, he wouldn't have been injured so severely. But there was no "ideal" today.
Truthfully, he could've escaped unscathed—if Roy and Platinum had helped.
Monique had tried, but her Arts were already activated and she couldn't respond in time.
That's the Unarmored Union for you. When disaster strikes, everyone runs for themselves.
Compare that to Nearl and Shining, who could effortlessly coordinate and deflect such an attack without injury. If the projectile had been a living creature, Shining alone could've dealt with it.
"So that's Ferrum?" Platinum asked Roy after a moment of silence.
"Don't look at me. I've never seen Ferrum's face either. But in this situation, there's no doubt."
The Ferrum trio guarded their identities carefully. Even the Aurum had never seen them in person—every command was issued via communicator.
Even when the Union tried to leave the Commercial Union and become an official member, only the Aurum stepped forward. The Ferrum never showed themselves.
This secrecy led to various theories: perhaps there were no Ferrum at all. Perhaps "Ferrum" was a bluff, and the Aurum were actually in charge. Some believed Ferrum used automated devices to make it seem like they existed.
Others thought Roy himself was a Ferrum who had been holding back.
One popular theory suggested that Maria Nearl's uncle, Młynar Nearl, was one of the Ferrum, and that the mysterious man Toland was another.
The theory was a stretch, but not entirely baseless. Młynar was undoubtedly strong. Toland wasn't weak either—he always said he couldn't beat Monique, but during their actual fight, she hadn't landed a hit.
Sure, it seemed ridiculous for a Ferrum to work as a wage slave for years—but then again, this was Terra. In Yan, countless masters lived hidden lives—take the Rainmaster of Floating Reeds, who was just a fisherman.
Of course, this was mostly speculation. Toland might be a Ferrum, but Młynar definitely wasn't. He never let go of the Nearl family's honor.
"Kazimierz cannot bestow honors upon me"—that was Młynar's true belief.
Still, it wouldn't be surprising if he had been invited to become a Ferrum.
"They say there are three Ferrum. So did you come alone today, or is the 'three Ferrum' thing just a front?"
Daniel stepped forward and raised his hand. The ground beneath Ferrum's feet surged with stone, rapidly enveloping his legs and climbing up his body—stopping just below his neck.
Thanks to Originium Arts from Yan, Daniel had found plenty of inspiration. Arts, after all, were just another form of magic. Mastery took time, but borrowing ideas was fast.
"So you won't talk, huh? No matter. I'll make sure you do. But first, there's cleanup to do."
Swish!
Daniel hadn't finished speaking when Roy and Monique bolted in opposite directions. Platinum, however, stood still and lowered her bow, as if she'd resigned herself.
"As expected of the Feline."
Daniel flicked his hand—two small stones shot out, and in the next instant, Roy and Monique's positions were swapped.
Both reacted fast—but not fast enough to avoid colliding.
Just as they stumbled, a massive spear—the same one that had impaled Ferrum—shot forward and pierced them both through the chest.
Technically a "ballista bolt," it was functionally a knight's lance.
The Aurum had thought Daniel's teleportation could only target one person at a time. So they split up, hoping one of them would survive.
They didn't know his technique could switch multiple targets.
The Surgical Fruit's spatial swap ability, when used properly, was divine. Law had explored its medical use well, but barely touched its combat potential.
He could've avenged Corazon by switching Doflamingo with a dummy or teleporting him into a bomb-rigged building. But he never really used his head.
"Never thought we'd die together. Guess it's fate." Roy chuckled, blood dripping down his chest.
"Dying with you? What rotten luck," Monique muttered.
She'd always hated Roy, but as fellow Aurum, they were forced to work together.
"Can't you say something nice for once?"
"Shut up. Stay away from me."
"Sorry, you two. Recruiting you might've been nice, but if I did that, I'd never be able to approach the Red Pine Knights."
Daniel sighed. Then he pulled the lance free and tossed a fireball onto their corpses.
"Have you two finished enjoying the show?" he said, now turning to Platinum and the nearby grove.
"To think Ferrum was a Kuranta… You don't seem surprised. Do you know him?"
From the trees stepped a Kuranta and a Sarkaz.
"Młynar. I didn't expect to see you here."
For the first time, the wounded Ferrum spoke.
"And I didn't expect to see you like this," Młynar replied, accompanied by Toland.
Though he often acted indifferent to Nearl and Maria, Młynar cared deeply. The moment he heard Maria was competing, he summoned Toland.
If anything happened to her, one less Ferrum would've walked away.
"You should be more worried about Kazimierz," Ferrum said, turning Młynar's gaze to Daniel.
"Who are you? What's your goal?"
"Nice try with the wedge. Too bad it won't work." Daniel smiled. Ferrum had tried to sow discord with his last breath.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm here on someone else's behalf—for Nearl."
"Nearl?" Toland glanced at Młynar.
"Ah, sorry—I forgot there's another Nearl here. I mean Margaret Nearl. She's worried about Kazimierz's current state and wants to change it."
"She's coming back… You're her ally." Młynar's expression turned serious.
"One of them, yes. She's finally found like-minded allies. She's walking a greater path. To drag her back to fix this cesspool? That's a waste. As her friend, I'll help her. If Kazimierz's problems are solved, she won't need to return."
That was Daniel's honest feeling. It would take decades for Nearl to reform Kazimierz. Wouldn't she be better off spending that time with Shining and Nightingale? Good people deserved good endings.
"How do you plan to fix Kazimierz?" Młynar asked after a long pause.
"We'll consult with Grand Knight Russel. Honestly, I'm surprised Kazimierz fell so far. A great knightly nation where Unarmored Union walks in broad daylight? No Kuranta mounted police? It's absurd."
He shook his head.
Kazimierz's rot ran deep—even worse than Dossoles. He'd only intervened because of Nearl and the Red Pine Knights.
Kuranta police originated here, yet Columbia and Victoria had them now—and Kazimierz didn't.
With their natural mobility, Kuranta were ideal for urban patrol—faster than any vehicle.
"Hah! He's not wrong," Toland laughed, until Młynar gave him a sharp look that silenced him.
"So… all this happened because Nearl's coming back?" Ferrum asked, disbelieving.
"That's exactly why." Daniel turned to Platinum.
"I'll be eliminating the other two Ferrum. That means you'll be the last one left. Go clean up the Unarmored Union. Meet me in three days."
"What do you want me to do?" Platinum asked after glancing at Ferrum.
"Simple. Kazimierz no longer needs the Unarmored Union. You know what that means."
"I understand."
Platinum began backing away slowly, only turning and fleeing once she'd put some distance between them—like she feared Daniel might strike her down any second.
Author's Note:
As for the fate of Xianjian IV (Sword & Fairy 4): This isn't a "power fantasy" novel. In a world watched by the likes of the Jade Maiden and the Heavenly Emperor, trying to stir trouble is a death sentence.
Fanfiction still needs to follow basic logic. The characters aren't wooden puppets waiting for the protagonist to save them.
I once read a fic where the protagonist could kill Xuanxiao, but couldn't beat Shi Zhixuan in Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty. Make it make sense.
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