Chapter 181
Chapter 181
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP.41 – Until My Heart Stops (7)
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...
It was a fierce battle right up to the end, with not a single moment to let their guard down.
KABOOM!
CRRRACK-!
It was so vicious that no one could believe the bastard was on his last legs. The magic chilled their spines dozens of times over, forcing Lee Han and Lark to roll across the ground again and again.
...Ironically, the monster was at its strongest only in the final moments.
As if it had undergone some grand awakening.
The way it charged, burning its very soul, was utterly tenacious.
However,
SPLURT!
-The victors were them.
In Lee Han's hands were a half-shattered sword and a broken blade.
They had snapped during the fierce fight, but in the end, the broken blade pierced the monster's heart, and the shattered sword stabbed through its throat.
There was still a risk it might regenerate again.
Drip....
But the monster no longer had any mana left to cast spells.
This time, it had poured everything out, and its body was melting away right before their eyes.
Whoosh...
It was much like how a magical beast's flesh turns to ash upon death. The monster was meeting the exact same end.
"Ah, what a shame.... If I'd had just a bit more mana, I could've taken one of you with me. It wouldn't have been so boring then, heh heh...."
"Bullshit."
"Spouting vile nonsense to the end."
The bastard remained utterly repulsive until the last.
Not even human-like...
How could it still speak with its throat pierced?
As that question lingered in their minds,
"...H-Hey, Pendragon—no, you guys targeted the Mage Tower for the 'Magic Sword,' right?"
"......"
...It brought up a sudden topic they couldn't just brush off.
"Y-You probably heard it from my disciple. That w-we were after Pendragon's secrets, heh heh."
"...What are you trying to say? Begging for forgiveness even now?"
Lark exuded a chilling aura.
A cold energy that drove away even the spring breeze.
Hearing it confess to daring to target the Magic Sword—to Galahad—seemed to ignite his fury.
"Heh, heh, y-you... you're one of Galahad's knights...."
Tyr gleaned that info from Lark's enraged reaction and let out a feeble laugh.
The man was on death's door; he could croak any second.
"Kuh huh...!"
Yet instead of resting, Tyr chose to open his mouth again.
"T-To be honest, we knew how absurd it was to try claiming Galahad's Magic Sword. It devours even mana itself. The compatibility between a Magic Sword and a mage is the worst...."
"......"
It sounded like he knew plenty about the Magic Sword.
But it was also info they couldn't ignore.
"How do you filth know...?"
The Magic Sword held five mysteries.
However, the exact nature of those mysteries was shrouded in secrecy.
Galahad itself had gone to great lengths to conceal the sword's powers, so only a tiny few knew its true abilities.
For such ultra-secret info to spill from Tyr's lips, it was no wonder Lark's face stiffened.
"C-Curious, huh? H-How we knew about it?"
Tyr worked his mouth.
Even speaking seemed a struggle now; it'd be mercy if he just shut up.
But Tyr...
"Th-Three years ago, some guys showed up and said, 'What if you could steal Pendragon's mysteries—even snag the Magic Sword? What would you do?'"
...Kept blabbing to the end.
"A-At first, I thought it was nonsense, but those guys had real power. Their organization's structure was all patchwork, which I liked, and they lived like parasites—fine specimens, heh heh."
"......"
"Th-The group's name was something like [Blood Crusaders], right? Haha, th-they boasted they could definitely claim the Magic Sword. Said they'd hand over ownership if we helped. So we mobilized the kids booted from the old Mage Tower. Th-Thanks to them, swaying the Sultanate was easy, and we figured infiltrating Pendragon wouldn't be hard under that pretext... Well, looking at us now, it was the worst choice."
The bastard looked cheerful.
Even knowing his choices led to this.
"I-In a way, we were just pawns on a chessboard. Pieces used for their 'goals.' Thinking back now, it hits me. But hey, we planned to use them too, so no room to complain."
...The knights focused on his words.
The Blood Crusaders' name cropping up here was shocking enough—they hadn't expected the group's hand in the Mage Tower's moves.
But that bit about their "goals" spiked their attention.
It might just be the key to exterminating those loathsome parasites.
As the bastard mumbled on...!
"-Heh heh, but I'm not telling you any more."
"......"
"Th-That's the face I wanted to see."
"You prankster bastard...!"
They'd wondered why he suddenly spilled all the secrets, only to realize it was just to piss them off.
Truly a despicable prick to the end, and Tyr...
"...Hah, I wanted to play a bit more... longer."
Shhhk.
Even in his final moments, there was no solemnity, no regret or guilt—just his head crumbling like sand.
For a grand archmage who'd lived 400 years, it was an anticlimactic end.
And those who'd slain the archmage vented their frustration with twisted expressions.
"Repulsive to the last."
"This is why I don't deal with thugs, damn it!"
They shook their heads, regretting ever conversing with the mad bastard from the start.
"Instructor...?"
They'd been eavesdropping from midway, but the three cadets couldn't bring themselves to step out amid the heavy mood.
Irene mustered her courage and murmured his name.
Worried something major had gone down.
And at her call,
"...Ah, you guys made it? Good work. Really."
He greeted them with a bright smile.
As if he'd never been grim.
"Hee hee!"
[Our simple little Irene. Smiles right away when praised.]
As he praised them and beckoned them over, Irene rushed to him like a people-loving retriever.
"We had it rough, Instructor! You told us to go to that spot, and there were dozens of mages and golems armed with artifacts—!"
The girl poured out their ordeal, like she craved more praise.
"That so? You all did great. Sorry for dragging you into something dangerous."
"N-No, that wasn't what I...!"
"I'm sorry, so tell me later if you want anything. I'll grant most requests."
"...Now that I think about it, it was pretty dangerous."
The instructor heard out all of Irene's complaints.
The atmosphere was gentleness itself, nothing like the man who'd just exuded murderous intent at the mage.
...But unlike Irene, the two boys couldn't bring themselves to whine about their hardships.
"...This looks like a warzone...."
"Even a battlefield wouldn't be this wrecked."
The Spring Fairy's magic had turned the Flying Fortress's surroundings into a flower field.
But it couldn't fool eyes like theirs, gifted with special senses.
What they saw wasn't a blooming spring meadow, but the gruesome aftermath of battle—two knights locked in mortal combat atop a frozen wasteland.
Shaking their heads at the illusory combat sequence flashing in their minds.
It was dizzying, spine-tingling.
Even sensing the duel between the archmage and knights indirectly left the boys reeling.
Yet amid it all...
Squeeze.
"You guys did great too. Like I told the kid, hit me up later if you need a favor. I'll handle most things."
"...Instructor, w-we're not kids, you know?"
"I know."
"......"
...They were forcibly snapped out of their daze.
By the instructor's sudden hugs and back pats, praising their good work.
It was embarrassing, awkward.
They were adults too.
However.
"Embarrassing or not, you deserve praise for a job well done. Kid or grown-up."
"......"
"Thanks. For real."
"......"
"...Was that too cringy?"
"...Yeah, super cringy."
"You look the type to laugh heartily and brazenly say, 'A real man fights to the death'...."
"...Aren't you talking about your uncle?"
"Same breed."
"...Blackie, know about Muscle Destruction Technique?"
"......I'd rather not."
"Nah, I'll teach you."
Roan tried to flee but was quickly caught by Lee Han.
Roan wasn't weak by any means, but the size difference was insurmountable.
"Puhahaha!"
Watching the sitcom-like scene, Derek burst into laughter.
It had been so serious and heartfelt moments ago, but man...
'Nah, the cheerfulness makes it even better.'
Derek had always preferred sitcoms depicting everyday life over comedies.
For good reason.
'Feels like family and friends' daily stories.'
Stories he'd never had, so enviable and aspirational.
And now.
'I'm in one.'
The boy was endlessly happy to be part of that sitcom.
[-Kyaha!]
"...Huh?"
As he was about to teach the cheeky black boy life's bitter lessons, Lee Han blinked at the tiny aurora circling him.
Radiating warm spring energy—
[-Thanks for saving 'us.']
"......"
[Hee hee, why so surprised?]
"......Y-You can talk?"
[That's what surprises you? Hee hee, you're a fun knight, hee hee. Then again, Pendragon knights are always entertaining.]
"......"
The Spring Fairy...
A beautiful fairy in female form circled him, chattering happily, and Lee Han pinched his cheek.
...The situation felt so unreal, like a dream.
But his cheek didn't hurt.
Guess it was a dream...
[Hey!]
"...Ow."
His cheeks were too tough to feel pain, so the fairy pinched hard instead, and Lee Han felt it.
It hurt.
...A lot.