Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Those Who Covet the King's Blood (2)
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Sei, reading the report, spoke up.
“We don’t have much experience with group battles in the mountains either… This is going to be rough.”
“Indeed. And this time, our reliance on you, Your Highness, will be far greater than usual.”
“Hmm. I suppose I’ll have to take care of those orcs and beasts myself. But how are the orcs this strong? That knight named Gilbret, whom Count Baden hired, was supposed to be quite the renowned swordsman in the west, yet according to this report, he was utterly overwhelmed.”
“They’re on a level where you couldn’t even imagine them as orcs… but such orcs have existed before.”
“You mean Dakan?”
Over thirty years ago, in the Valan Forest where the Western Border Guard was stationed, an orc hero named Dakan had rallied a massive army of monsters called the Alliance of Darkness.
He wasn’t just far stronger than other orcs; he was wise like a human and possessed the charisma to organize the monsters. Though powerful variant orcs appeared from time to time, Dakan was on another level entirely. And his strength was so terrifying that countless knights of his era fell to him.
Perlman said,
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Did you see Dakan yourself by any chance?”
“I was part of the Western Border Guard when they were once annihilated, and when the royal family dispatched a subjugation force.”
“What kind of orc was he?”
“He was enormous. His head was two sizes larger than a typical orc, and he wore crudely made but thick armor. He swung around a sword as big as the one you wield, Your Highness, with one hand. Most died without even getting close. He was like a walking typhoon.”
“Fascinating. To think there was an orc like that…”
“Orcs already have far superior physical constitutions to humans by default, and occasionally, truly powerful ones are born. Of course, Dakan transcended that category, but even so, we need to stay cautious this time.”
“Understood.”
Sei nodded.
4
When Sei and his direct forces arrived in Count Baden’s territory, they were greeted with fervent cheers like a wildfire.
“Waaaaah!”
“Sei! Sei! Sei!”
“May the noble Dragon Demon Prince’s sword shine bright!”
Not only Count Baden, but the territory’s residents had been steeped in grief due to the bandits’ relentless tyranny. In this dire situation, the Dragon Demon Prince—who was at the height of his fame—had come to save them. Men, women, and children alike poured into the streets, shouting Sei’s name.
“It must have been truly dire.”
“They’d barely harvested enough to prepare for winter, only for it all to be plundered. On top of that, one village was completely burned down, and a large number of women and children were kidnapped…”
Perlman clicked his tongue at Sei’s words. One might dismiss them as mere bandits, but the damage to Count Baden’s territory was so severe that survival itself was at stake.
After resting for the night, Sei climbed the mountain with the territory’s gathered forces under Count Baden. He marveled at the terrain’s harshness.
“They’ve set up base in a place like this and still come down to raid the territory?”
It was terrain too treacherous for companies of soldiers to fight in effectively. It was easy to see why Count Baden’s forces couldn’t subjugate them on their own. The fact that the bandits still descended to raid villages periodically in such conditions was almost unbelievable.
“Do they know some route unknown to the locals?”
“Even so, I doubt there’s a path the residents here wouldn’t know…”
“We won’t know until we clash with them? Since we can’t predict what might happen, keep your guards up. I’ll go on reconnaissance.”
“Pardon? Even so, that’s…”
“Regular soldiers can’t perform proper scouting here. It’d just be throwing away lives. Isn’t that right?”
“Then we should send knights.”
“I trust my knights’ capabilities, but this is still the enemy’s front yard. Besides, my master trained me to handle situations like this.”
Duke Tarantos, the Dragon Sword Duke, had trained Sei relentlessly. He’d even had Sei hunt packs of beasts and monsters while traversing frozen winter mountains. Thanks to that experience, Sei had no qualms about scouting or making tactical judgments when necessary.
No, he actively stepped up when needed. He valued his subordinates too much to send them into high-risk situations.
“In that case, I’ll go with you.”
“Don’t push yourself. If I go out and you’re not here, command will falter. Leave it to the young, vigorous knights instead of an old man like you.”
“I’m not ready to bow out to the young ones yet.”
“But the young can’t replace an old man like you. So, I’ll leave the rear to you.”
With that jest, Sei took three knights he’d personally knighted—former mercenaries—and set out on reconnaissance. Both were veterans who’d handled numerous missions, so they could move as Sei directed.
Sei moved nimbly, ever vigilant of his surroundings. They were impressed.
“Have you trained in scouting too, Your Highness?”
Everyone knew Sei’s martial prowess was exceptional. His overwhelming strength, his fair gaze that judged people by ability rather than status, and his boldness in always leading the charge inspired unwavering loyalty, even though he was just a boy younger than them.
But to possess even skills that someone of his high station shouldn’t have—it was astonishing.
“A little. I was trained more as a hunter than a scout, so point out any rookie mistakes, and I’ll be grateful.”
“We’re the ones who should be learning.”
“Flattery won’t get you a raise easily.”
They whispered in low voices as they conversed, scouted, and relayed updates to the main force trailing behind via communication magic tools, advancing cautiously. Then—
“A young person who’s quite cautious, aren’t you?”
A girl’s voice rang out, one that shouldn’t have been heard in a place like this.
Sei jerked his head up in surprise. Atop the sheer cliff stood a girl, looking down at him with her legs pressed together as if on flat ground.
‘Dangerous.’
His instincts screamed a fierce warning.
She was a girl who didn’t fit this place at all—unrealistically so.
Her age seemed about the same as Arietta’s. Long golden hair, amethyst eyes, porcelain skin—she was a beautiful girl. Her languid, emotionless expression made her seem like a doll.
Her features alone clashed terribly with the rugged mountains, but her attire made it worse. A dress? Black with red accents?
Sei asked,
“Who are you?”
“The mage who came to take you. I’m not yet in a position to reveal my name.”
“Take me?”
“I’m just following orders.”
Waaaaah!
Suddenly, cheers erupted from behind. Sei was aghast.
“What?”
A scream-like report came through the magic communication tool.
-Your Highness! Enemies have appeared out of nowhere!
“What? That’s impossible!”
-They came charging over the ridgeline without any warning! Ugh! How is this possible!
“Sir Perlman! I’ll be there soon—”
-Chzzzt! Chzzzzzt!
The communication cut off abruptly. The girl spoke to the stunned Sei.
“I allowed the communication briefly as a courtesy, to inform you of the situation.”
“…”
Sei shivered.
The girl showed no sign of casting magic. Not in terms of chanting spells or forming hand seals.
‘No mana fluctuations at all. How is this possible?’
Sei possessed mana detection far superior to others. Yet he sensed not a speck from the girl. And yet she’d severed the magic communication effortlessly.
The girl descended the cliff as if walking on flat ground. Then, a blue flash surged before her.
Woooooom!
An overwhelming mana wave crashed down simultaneously. Sei was horrified.
‘No way! Mana surpassing even Master’s?’
From the girl—no, from the flash surging before her—came an overwhelming mana wave that made him want to scream. And it wasn’t just mana…
‘Dragon Demon energy!’
It was Dragon Demon energy! A tool emitting Dragon Demon energy—one that surpassed even Kairen’s? It was mind-blowing. He’d thought only the Dragon Weapons crafted by Kairen and his comrades possessed such energy!
The girl murmured as if sighing.
“Dragon Demon Armament, Cup of Lament.”
She grasped a long staff that emerged from the light.
It was like a staff sculpted from ice. Colorless, distorting light as it passed through, its tip shaped like a large cup. The light filtering through the staff flowed into the cup, rippling like water—a mystical sight.
“Ugh!”
Sei snapped out of his daze. He reached for the sword on his back—too large for his frame. The enchanted scabbard ejected it, and he caught it, assuming a stance.
The sight was surreal. Sei was boyishly small for fifteen, only about 160 cm tall. Yet the weapon he wielded was a massive two-handed sword, nearly as long as he was tall—a brutish thing no ordinary person could even lift.
But Sei, with his superhuman strength, swung it effortlessly.
“Radiant light! Become the dragon that tears through foul darkness!”
With his spirit chant, Dragon Demon energy exploded. A fierce flash poured from the sword tip, streaking toward the girl in irregular, lightning-like arcs.
Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaboom!
The cliff exploded, shaking the mountain. Sei shouted,
“You three, rejoin the main force as planned! This one is mine—”
But midway through, Sei froze.
They were gone.
The three knights who’d been right beside him moments ago had vanished.
‘Am I dreaming right now?’
To fool his senses and whisk away the knights at such close range? Impossible in reality. Doubting if he’d fallen for an illusion spell, Sei heard the girl’s voice.
“How regrettable.”
“What?”
The girl emerged unscathed from the explosion, walking forward.
No, she hadn’t even stopped to begin with. Attack or no, she descended the cliff without hindrance and stepped onto flat ground.
“Blood of the great one flows in you, yet a lack of knowledge leaves you powerless.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ll learn the answer later.”
Ignoring Sei’s confused question, the girl gracefully curtsied, holding one edge of her skirt.
“Now the conditions are met for me to share my name. I am Laura.”
She raised the bizarre staff—no, the Dragon Demon Armament ‘Cup of Lament’.
“As one who inherits the great Aunsor’s name, welcome to the Labyrinth of Lament. Let us see if you can defeat me and find the exit before your strength runs out.”
Space rippled around her, and Sei’s reality began to twist into a nightmare.