God of Tricksters

"Ahaha… Ahahahaha…" Sojuro's awkward laugh reverberated inside the hall as he truly never expected that his father would come.

Of course, someone as important as him would be followed by the military as well. Two Mythical Rank Experts appeared next to him while panting.

"Please don't go like this…"

The Sword Saint rolled his eyes and said, "Come on. I'm not that reckless. Do you think I'm like the Fist Saint? I still know where to draw the line."

It seemed that the top ten experts had their own unique personalities. The Time God had his arrogant and mysterious attitude. The Fist Saint he met had an overwhelming fighting spirit that simply wanted to challenge every single person he encountered. The Wind Emperor was a wise and calm person.

Meanwhile, the Sword Saint seemed to be a carefree person.

"I am near here, so I don't think there's a problem coming here." The Sword Saint shrugged. His nonchalant attitude made everyone retort in their mind. They wanted to smack him with the fact that his sudden movement might cause a big movement within and outside the country.

However, the Sword Saint simply didn't care. He looked at Joker and smiled, "I see. Joker, is it?"

Theo narrowed his eyes, wondering how the situation would become like this. However, the Sword Saint was still too much for him. He could only endure this by saying, "Yes. May I know how I can help you?"

"Accept my son's challenge. It's only a spar. There is nothing wrong with it."

"Okay." Theo accepted without hesitation. Of course, he wouldn't go all the way to reveal his Order in this fight.

"Oh? I thought you were more of a complicated person. You got all those items and money from… who is his name again? Whatever… From that former first-ranked guy. I thought you were going to ask me to pay some fee."

"Winston couldn't offer something that I wanted, so I placed that fee. Your son is different."

"So, you're telling me that my son has something special that you want?"

"Yes. There's no reason for me to refuse other than…" Theo glanced at Shinoda.

"I see." The Sword Saint smiled and said, "I authorize this spar. If the country asks, I'll be responsible for it."

"That's… Let me make a call first." Shinoda didn't know what to do other than call his supervisor for advice.

On the other hand, the Sword Saint said to Theo. "Let's make a bet."

"A bet?"

"Yes. The bet that you love so much. If my son wins, how about working for my group? I will handle the contract between the Star Group and you." The Sword Saint smiled. "I am very interested in the talent that is recognized by a lot of people around the world."

"You're exaggerating."

True to his character, the Sword Saint also ignored Theo's words as he continued, "If my son loses, hmm… what should I give you… Ah, right! My daughter can follow you. She's a strong woman and has a good understanding of the Five Aspects. She should have some use for you."

"!!!" Rea widened her eyes in shock. The fact that her father actually put her as the gambling piece was truly shocking.

On the other hand, Theo was frowning. In this battle, the Sword Saint was actually making him lose.

Even if he defeated Sojuro, Rea would come with him, allowing the Sword Saint to observe him through Rea. If he couldn't defeat Sojuro, he would be forced to work for him. It was clear that the Sword Saint was using this opportunity to keep him in check.

And the worst part was that he couldn't decline because of their difference in power. If other people killed him in this country, it would be a great dispute. However, it would be different if the Sword Saint personally killed him. It would still lead to a dispute, but his fame could easily handle this.

'As expected, the top ten experts in the world can do everything they want simply because they have the strength. It seems that visiting this place was actually the worst move I could make. It seems no matter what I do in the future, I should avoid coming to a country that has one of the top ten experts…' Theo thought, wondering if he should admit defeat today.

The Sword Saint was truly outside his calculation, but Theo also knew his own mistake. If he had just waited for the siblings to leave before entering the dojo, he wouldn't face this problem.

'Have I become too complacent after the incident with the Bolhom Family? The situation is the same, but the people involved are at another level.' Theo gritted his teeth, knowing his mistake.

"I… don't think it's appropriate." Theo tried to shift the focus and change the bet. "There's no way I can afford to have someone like her work for me."

"My daughter is talented enough to work for you."

"There are still some international problems… And the fact that I need to consider you before asking her to do something is also a problem." Theo shook his head.

"It's fine. You can order her as you like. Just think of her as your random subordinate… I'm fine with it."

"That's…" Theo frowned, not knowing how to change the conversation again. Though, he should have one more escape route. It was a draw. With this, he wouldn't need to work for the Sword Saint and take care of his daughter.

Albeit, the Sword Saint was shrewder than he expected.

He stated, "Of course. If it's a draw, let's get the best of both worlds. Not only can you work for me, but you can also have my daughter as your assistant. Alright. That's all."

Without hesitation, he grabbed Sojuro and dragged him elsewhere while saying, "I'm gonna tell him how to defeat you so that you will work for me. Hahaha."

"…" Theo was speechless. The Sword Saint was truly abusing his power.

However, what he didn't know was that there was another reason why the Sword Saint added this bet. Of course, he would be lying if he didn't abuse his power.

"Pop—Father! Why did you suggest that bet? I'm angry that you're using Rea as a tool! This is not like you! You're a bad guy, but you never used us that way! You disappointed me!"

The Sword Saint's expression became serious as he grabbed Sojuro's hand, opening his palm. "Look at your hand, Sojuro. Is it rough?"

"What? This is not the time—" When he was about to complain, Sojuro hesitated to continue when his father's expression darkened. He paused for a moment and answered, "Yes."

"Swinging your swords continuously… day after day, just to get stronger. Even with all these calluses, you still continue swinging your swords." The Sword Saint paused for a moment. There was sadness in his eyes. "Have you ever felt your sister's hand?"

"What do you mean? I don't swing that way."

The Sword Saint closed his eyes for a moment. "Your sister's hands are worse than yours."

"!!!" Sojuro was startled. There was only one meaning in those words. It meant his sister worked much harder than him.

"Do you think I have been working all this time? I have been watching over both of you too… Although she doesn't show it, your sister doesn't want to lose to you.

"You don't know that you have that fighting talent while your sister has that brain. As much as I don't want to say it, your sister's talent for fighting is much worse than yours. But how do you think the gap between the two of you is not so big?

"The answer is simple. She works harder than you can imagine. She keeps swinging… whether it's raining or snowing, your sister doesn't stop. Even with her hands bleeding, she endures the pain and continues.

"Even then, she barely keeps up with you. I don't know if you notice it or not, but your sister doesn't have confidence in herself…"

"My sister? She often hits me and acts overbearing…" Sojuro wanted to refute him, but the Sword Saint shook his head.

"She doesn't show it, but I can see it. Your sister always thinks herself lower than you even though both of you are equal in talent, just in a different area."

"Then, that Joker…"

"Yes. Whether you win or lose, I'm planning to have her become his assistant. From my investigation, it seems that Joker is gathering people from all around the world. And they're unique individuals. Since she doesn't need to compare herself to you or me, she will be able to clash with them more. I believe that this experience will be great for her… In the future, I hope that she regains her self-esteem."

"Then, you can tell her like so… There's no need to make it look like she's just a tool."

"It'll defeat the purpose. Unlike Martial Prowess or money, you can't easily get it just by working hard. You need to get experience to gain some confidence in yourself. Do you think I haven't encouraged your sister? I have done it multiple times, but your sister thinks of it as an insult to her pride, so this is the only way. Your sister is a smart girl, I believe she'll understand the reason sooner or later. In the meantime, I don't mind playing the bad guy."