Chapter 74: They’re Back!

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Mordred Claymore was the second son of Arthur Claymore. From what Riven could clearly remember, he was the second oldest of Arthur’s sons and stood as Riven’s older brother by around ten years.

Mordred had always been known as a relentless and ambitious hunter. Riven had eventually discovered that he had been quietly plotting in the shadows for years, aiming to overthrow both his father and his older brother Gawain when the right moment arrived.

He could have been an ally under different circumstances. Perhaps things would have turned out differently if Mordred had not been such a complete lunatic and a hyper-aggressive bastard who loved nothing more than bullying Riven at every opportunity. As a child Riven had watched in helpless horror as Mordred killed many of his pets one after another, using the acts purely to intimidate him and grind his spirit into the dirt.

Whenever the two of them were forced to spar, Mordred would always beat Riven relentlessly. He left him bleeding on the ground and half-dead more times than Riven could count. If it had not been for his mother’s constant presence during those early years, Riven honestly did not know what would have become of him.

He gripped his fists tightly as the old memories rose to the surface. He was no longer the same weak Riven from before. He grew stronger every day, and he had even managed to steal an entire Gate right from under Mordred’s nose.

Even so, his brother was someone who already stood close to L Rank. Riven could not hope to defeat him yet, let alone take proper revenge for everything that had been done to him.

But soon enough he would make certain to force Mordred to pay for every single cruelty.

"Let’s hurry."

Knowing that his brother might appear at this location in person before long, Riven decided there was no time to waste. He moved quickly toward the exit, with Daniela and Noir following closely behind him.

However, the moment they reached the outside of the private property, they were stopped by a group of four hunters who had clearly been waiting for hours just to meet him again.

"Hey! Riven! Nice to see you again!"

"We’ve been waiting hours to meet you again."

"What’s going on over there? Someone said the Gate closed?"

"What’s all that about?"

Riven clicked his tongue in irritation as he quickly analyzed the group and remembered exactly who they were. It annoyed him deeply that they had gone out of their way to wait for him to leave the Gate, even if it had taken several long hours.

"What’s with that face?! Aren’t you happy to see us?"

The speaker was a young woman with long red hair tied into two thick braids. Her name was Clair, a Sniper who operated under the Thieving Bowman Authority.

"We waited for you to get out and everything."

Standing beside her was a dual swordswoman with short blue hair and a tomboyish appearance. That was Emma, a Spell Blade who served under the Wandering Swordsman Authority.

"Ugh, my feet are killing me."

A tall and strong-looking young man with short blonde hair and sharp blue eyes stood there wearing heavy armor even at this late hour. He carried a massive, towering shield that looked almost as heavy as he was. This was Philip, a Heavy Knight under the Impenetrable Fortress Authority.

"Hello Riven. Thank you again for saving my life— I mean, our lives."

And lastly there was the girl who had been unconscious back then. She now seemed not only completely awake but also very energetic and talkative. She had long blonde hair and gentle-looking green eyes, though Riven already knew those soft eyes hid a clear streak of greed underneath. This was Natalie, a Healer under the Holy Sun Goddess Authority.

In that moment Riven glared at the entire group with an annoyed, almost disgusted expression and...

"TSK."

"?!"

They heard the loudest and sharpest tongue click they had ever heard in their entire lives. It was painfully clear that he did not want anything to do with these stupid kids.

"Why are you even here? I told you to get lost before," Riven shook his head in open irritation. "If you’re planning on doing something to take advantage of us, I must warn you. Do not mistake kindness for weakness."

"?!"

They panicked even more as they suddenly felt his immense presence press down on them. It was as if he had grown tens of times stronger out of nowhere. His aura was so heavy and overwhelming that it almost forced them to their knees. The only reason they stayed standing was because Riven was still deliberately holding most of it back.

"P-Please don’t misunderstand! We didn’t mean to take advantage of you back then...!" Natalie panicked, waving her hands quickly. "It’s just... ugh, Clair acting on her own... I am the actual leader here. I put everyone together and more. Clair just... sometimes decides she’s the one in charge and talks complete nonsense. Please, I apologize on her behalf."

"What?!" Clair panicked, looking at Natalie in pure disbelief with her mouth hanging open. "Natalie, how can you say something so—"

"Shut up," Natalie said firmly. "We’ve already dealt with enough problems because you keep screwing things up, Clair!"

"..."

"..."

Emma and Philip, the only two members of the party who were actually in a relationship, felt a little left out as the two girls continued arguing right in front of them.

Meanwhile Riven simply started walking away without another word.

"Wait!" Natalie called out desperately. "Please wait..." she gasped for air as she ran ahead and blocked his path. "Here, at the very least, please take this!"

"Hm?" Riven raised an eyebrow and accepted what she offered — a small golden card. "This is...?"

It was an introduction card from...

"Sunrise Pharmaceuticals?!" Riven was completely taken aback. "You’re... from the Sunrise Family?!"

Natalie smiled kindly after hearing that Riven knew who her family was. "I am honored that you know already about us, I guess that’ll make introductions faster..."

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