Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Full Moon Festival (3)
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“Get up.”
Elnor slowly lifted the blindfold over her eyes.
Because one of the humans surrounding her had said so.
“Follow us. There’s somewhere you need to go.”
“Somewhere I need to go.”
“Yeah.”
At least it wasn’t a suggestion to change seats for the next course.
The way they were deliberately brandishing their weapons in a threatening manner made that clear enough.
“...”
But instead of responding right away, Elnor merely furrowed her brows slightly.
“Someday in this world, I hoped there’d be a person who truly understood me. Someone who accepted everything I had to offer. I can’t even remember the last time I clung to that kind of hope.”
Her flat voice drifted out like that, and the faces around her soured in unison.
It was a natural reaction, spouting such drivel when clearly skilled fighters had her surrounded.
“Hope is a dangerous thing, you see. It makes humans blind. I’ve been fooled by it plenty of times myself.”
“Hey. What the hell are you...”
Elnor grabbed a nearby wine bottle and chugged it straight from the neck.
It was an action utterly unbecoming of a duchess.
Yet it felt strangely natural.
As if she’d been suppressing something for a very long time.
“But sometimes, those things don’t betray you.”
“...I said get up.”
One of the men who’d spoken first strode toward Elnor with clear irritation in his voice.
His intent to haul her up by force was obvious.
Compared to the hulking brute, who was clearly a seasoned martial artist, Elnor looked several sizes smaller.
The next moment.
Elnor seized the giant’s arm.
“...!”
Blood burst from the gripped spot. Muscles tore, bones snapped.
As the giant’s eyes bulged from the mere contact that had already left him gravely wounded, Elnor grabbed his head and slammed it into the table.
The wine bottle she’d just drained crashed down on top.
Blood sprayed, glass shards flew everywhere.
“...What the!”
While the others around her drew their swords in horror, Elnor smirked and casually tossed the fully unconscious man aside.
The sight of such a massive figure flying like a sheet of paper from that simple motion was almost surreal.
“Lately, I’ve been holding back a lot. Too many eyes around, you know.”
Her red eyes gleamed ferociously.
It was less the aura of a person and more like a wild beast.
“God, it’s been rough.”
“Don’t kill her. She’s the top priority for the plan. Some injuries are tolerable, so capture her alive and...”
One of the armed men muttered that.
A second later, he was flying through the air from Elnor’s punch, smashing into the wall.
“Capture me alive? Interesting.”
The humans couldn’t even track her movements and staggered back.
It was strength and agility beyond imagination.
“And here I was with no intention of granting you that mercy.”
As she said that, Elnor picked up the sword dropped by the man who’d flown into the wall.
In her ears, a few phrases she’d heard from Dawood earlier replayed.
‘These guys are devil worshippers.’
‘You’ve been having a rough time lately, right?’
‘Maybe not later, but holding back right now is only making it worse.’
She smirked.
Truth be told, trusting the word “devil worshippers” without evidence was risky. Unless you were one of those infamous imperial inquisitors, you couldn’t just smell demons on sight.
But the one who’d told her that was Dawood Campbell. If she couldn’t trust that man’s words, what could she trust?
‘Plus.’
He’d told her to let it all out.
She just couldn’t hate a guy like that.
Occasionally venting this “madness” like this was one of the time-honored solutions passed down in the Tristan Ducal House.
She had no idea how he knew that.
Or what he meant by “maybe not later.”
But.
She agreed that lately, suppressing the madness had reached a breaking point.
In other words.
“By imperial law, devil worshippers can be summarily executed on the spot with no issues on report. Isn’t that right?”
Her eyes flashed blood-red. A killing intent like freezing air settled over the entire space.
Everyone there instinctively knew.
“...!”
They’d heard the rumors.
The continent’s greatest swordsmanship house. Among them, the duchess famed for her prodigious talent since childhood.
They hadn’t thought she’d be an easy opponent from the start, but they hadn’t imagined she’d be utterly untouchable either.
Everyone here was a warrior confident enough to believe that.
All of them, forged in the furnace of real combat, were the elite of the elite, handpicked and trained by the Riverback Marquis himself.
But.
What stood before them now.
Wasn’t just some “skilled swordswoman.”
The human-like presence they’d felt moments ago had vanished entirely, replaced by boundless ferocity and malice.
This thing wearing the form of the Tristan Duchess.
It was pitch-black, so inhuman it didn’t even feel like the same species!
“So. Come at me with the resolve to kill.”
Well, anyway.
It was a gift from that man.
Her face remained her usual expressionless mask, but if Dawood saw her now, he’d think Elnor was “genuinely smiling.”
As if.
Harming someone without consequence was truly enjoyable.
“That way, you might last a little longer.”
And then.
Hell broke loose.
●
In conclusion, it took 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
That’s how long it took for Elnor to reach where I was.
“...No way... no...”
Seeing the Riverback Marquis mutter that in a dazed stupor, my usual self probably would’ve chuckled along.
But even so, wasn’t this a bit much?
“...You okay?”
When I asked in a stiff voice, Elnor pouted her lips and tossed two blood-soaked humans aside.
Dragging them in like war trophies was straight-up chilling.
“Well, I feel refreshed. Should be fine for a while.”
“...”
Elnor had been on the first floor at the restaurant entrance, while the Riverback Marquis and I were in the top-floor VIP room.
And yet, this woman had single-handedly carved through dozens—maybe a hundred—soldiers filling that space to get here.
The elite forces the Riverback Marquis boasted were knight-order equivalents, and she’d done it in a single dress.
In just a few minutes.
‘Isn’t this a real monster...?’
I’d bet on it: even with Desperate Situation at EX rank exploding, I couldn’t pull this off.
EX-rank stat boosts are insane, sure, so maybe five to ten guys? But dozens to a hundred, all elite-trained?
Surviving even seconds would be lucky.
No wonder the Riverback Marquis, who’d just started regaining some confidence, had his mentality shatter instantly.
The tower he’d painstakingly built over years had crumbled to one woman in minutes.
As I fell silent, at a loss for words, Elnor’s brows suddenly arched like she’d remembered something.
“Oh, right.”
She tossed the two bloodied humans aside with a thud and walked over to me calmly.
“Thinking about it, it wasn’t that great.”
“...Pardon?”
“It was tough. Almost got hurt too. How could you make me do something like this?”
“...”
“Shouldn’t you take responsibility?”
It was an obvious lie, not even bothering to wet her lips.
Not a single scratch on her.
She’d clearly enjoyed venting all her stress...
“Of course, I liked it, but this doesn’t count as a proper da—er, I mean, that’s not the point.”
“...”
“Let’s go out together again next time. Got it?”
“...Sure?”
No atmosphere to refuse.
“Yeah. And later, you’ll take responsibility for other stuff too.”
Other stuff?
Responsibility for what?
As I sighed at the cryptic words, a window popped up unexpectedly.
[Checking the current conditions of target ‘Elnor.’]
[Current affection level ‘Adoration’ or higher. Unique debuff ‘Madness’ has improved due to your influence.]
[Conditions for dedicated quest activation met.]
[Dedicated Quest Activated!]
[‘Elnor Erinarije la Tristan’s dedicated quest has been added to the Gift tab.]
[Clear to unlock ‘Adoration’ or higher affection.]
[Clear for massive benefits to the main scenario.]
[Clear influences the ending.]
[Target ‘Gideon Gailsterd la Tristan’ takes interest in you!]
“...?”
Hold on.
What’s this?
Dedicated quests weren’t even in the game proper. First time I’ve seen this system?
Eye-catching rewards lined up, but the standout was.
‘Gideon?’
Gideon—that’s the guy.
Current Tristan Grand Duke. Empire’s core figure called second only to the Emperor in power, strongest knight dubbed a one-man army. Elnor’s father.
And the villain who plays a huge role in corrupting Elnor into the final boss.
“...”
No way someone like him should be taking interest in me during Chapter 1.
What the hell?
‘...Whatever.’
I shook my head and closed the window.
I could check it later.
More importantly.
[Main Quest completed!]
[Completion time within 5 minutes! Record-breaking feat!]
[Highest-grade rewards granted!]
“My... everything I’ve built so far...”
The quest completion message floated alongside the completely shattered Riverback Marquis.
“...”
Well, if the tower you prided yourself on building perfectly over years gets wrecked in 5 minutes, you’d be like that too.
“Give it up, Riverback Marquis.”
Elnor continued calmly.
“If word gets out you’re tied to devil worshippers, you’re done. Given their social standing, summary execution is the only option. Better turn yourself in now and meet a merciful end.”
“...”
Her voice was calm, but the content was brutal.
No option to spare him from the start, huh.
‘With the recruitment event this trashed, the branch would be...’
Normally, rejecting recruitment leads to ‘escape’ or ‘battle’ here.
But with Elnor wiping out all the enemies, neither applies.
“...Ha.”
The Riverback Marquis laughed hollowly.
“Didn’t think I’d have to resort to this.”
I watched as he, mentality in ruins, fumbled something from his pocket.
Probably a cursed device. One that lets you borrow fallen power briefly.
‘What comes next is...’
He activates it, awakens as a purifier, then straight into boss fight.
Since we ended it so easily, probably a branch with an easier boss...
[Entering new branch.]
[Branch: Essence Emergence]
[Difficulty greatly increased!]
[Ending-related item ‘Devil’s Essence’ added to rewards.]
[Target ‘???’ takes even greater interest in you!]
“...”
What the fuck?
As I panicked at the messages, the Riverback Marquis finally pulled something from his bosom.
Normally a cursed device from devil worshippers.
But what he held was a wriggling ‘something’ like a living heart.
Except at its core, an endless sticky darkness seemed contained.
The moment I saw it, chill raced down my spine.
A prickling sense that things had gone terribly wrong surged through my body.
‘Devil’s Essence...!’
Bullshit.
No, seriously, bullshit.
That’s not something that should appear in Chapter 1.
Using a bit of fallen human power is one thing—devouring that and becoming a ‘fiend’ is another dimension!
“Elnor, cut his arm off! Don’t let him eat it!”
“...?”
Stunned by my intense reaction to something she’d never seen, Elnor drew her sword anyway. She lunged at the Riverback Marquis instantly.
But.
“Receive the grace of the gods.”
The Riverback Marquis had already shoved the essence into his mouth.
And the next moment.
-!
-!!!!
-!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The entire Twilight Eye building.
Was crushed by the surging darkness.
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