Chapter 166: Below Expectations
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 166: Below Expectations
“Knight Lord.”
A tattered, dark navy cloak; full-body armor riddled with scars and embedded arrows; a blood-stained greatsword and a massive shield.
Given the circumstances, the items inside the box I had opened clearly belonged to him. Seeing them now, without the shrinking magic applied, made the reality of it sink in.
He’s a monster.
I wasn’t some fool who judged combat power solely by the size of a sword or shield. This was a comprehensive judgment based on the mana radiating from him, his unwavering posture, and various other factors.
“Can you speak? I’ve met a fellow called a Lich before, and even though he was of a much lower caliber than you, he could talk.”
The Haunted Centurion Armor hadn't spoken. It seemed to have at least a basic level of will, though. Surely, knight-class necro-type entities weren't too dim-witted to speak. Even if they were military men, wouldn't a medieval knight have to be well-educated?
—Clang.
His heavy, armored form shifted as he turned to face me.
“I do not know who this ‘Lich’ is. Conversation is possible, but I doubt I will find common ground with one who assigns ‘caliber’ to people to rank them.”
“Ah... my apologies. I didn't mean ‘caliber’ in that sense. He was just a mad mage who claimed he could bring the dead back to life.”
Something was strange. I didn't feel that unpleasant ringing sensation in my head. If he were a necro-type monster, he shouldn't have physical vocal cords. Yet, no matter how I listened, the sound clearly originated from a distinct set of vocal cords.
“He was certainly a madman, then.”
“Yeah, I agree. I killed him, so don't go looking for him.”
The Knight Lord drove his sword deep into the ground, then pulled his hand from his shield, propping it up on the earth and resting his hand atop it. It was a gesture that signaled a willingness to talk.
“You seem to know of me. Who are you?”
“That requires a bit of a complicated explanation. To set the stage, I’d like to know what your current state is.”
“My state?”
A hint of confusion colored the Knight Lord’s voice.
“Are you a living human? Or... have you perhaps experienced death?”
“What a foolish question. One cannot converse with the dead.”
It seemed the Knight Lord I was looking at now was... him as he was when he was alive. If so, that raised more than a few questions. Did necro-type monsters have a human original? He had brushed past my question about being ‘human’ without hesitation.
There seemed to be no possibility that the creature inside that heavy armor was anything other than a human-like species.
“In that case, my introduction might be a bit difficult to grasp.”
“I shall take that into account and interpret it as best I can.”
“It’s the distant future. I suppose you could say I’ve come seeking to borrow the strength of the man you became after death.”
“...That is quite a surprising and unimaginable tale.”
I scanned the surroundings, but I couldn't find anything magical. Every soldier on this battlefield was a high-level warrior with a perfectly trained body. The weapons embedded in the ground were merely the warriors' means of communication, intended to kill enemies through physical force.
I wondered if mages simply hadn't stepped forward because this was the front line, but even looking far into the distance, I saw no corpses of those wearing robes. Or... was there something else?
“Did you, uh, understand any of that?”
“Indeed. I understand perfectly well that those ignorant miracle-workers have finally gone so far as to violate the ethics of time.”
I hadn't exactly traveled through time, but I was satisfied that the Knight Lord understood the gist of it. Explaining my current situation in detail and getting him to understand it would likely take far too much time.
“However, this appears to be nothing more than an attempt to mock me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Look around you. This carnage. Was it not created by those arrogant miracle-workers?”
“...Are you saying this war was started by mages?”
It looked like a massive war. Even a quick glance revealed thousands of corpses. It wasn't a war between nations.
There was only one flag. The style of armor was similar. Was it a civil war?
“I’m sorry to say... I have no connection to the people you’re talking about.”
“You would have to say that. Otherwise, you would not be able to receive my help.”
“If I had to categorize myself, I’m closer to a warrior who swings a sword and carries a shield.”
At those words, the Knight Lord pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a chuckle.
“That is not a bad excuse. Those wretches refused to hold a sword or shield, calling them primitive.”
“In that case—”
“In that case, you should be able to prove it.”
“Prove it?”
The Knight Lord gripped the weapons he had set down.
“Prove your skill as a warrior who carries a sword and shield. If you do... I will not ask why you went to such lengths to meet me using the magic of those miracle-workers.”
“Whew, I guess there’s no way around it.”
Right, I knew it would come to a fight in the end. I just had to prove my skill. To be honest, calling myself a warrior who only fought with a sword and shield was a bit of a stretch...
A warrior doesn't usually fire disintegration rays.
But the Knight Lord didn't seem like the type to fight with pure physical force either.
—Whoosh!
“Is that an Aura Blade?”
“Call it the manifestation of one’s martial path.”
“That’s a fancy name.”
A deep navy blade-aura flowed over the long, heavy greatsword, burning with a pure and noble intensity. It was a sublime sight, devoid of even a hint of ugliness.
My honest impression was...
I can’t win. I’ll be lucky just to earn his recognition.
His posture remained perfectly steady even as he walked over the mangled heaps of corpses. The sheer pressure of his pure mana alone overwhelmed even the Dragon Heart of Tenebrax I had first encountered.
“What armament do you prefer? I hold all weapons of warriors who fight face-to-face in high regard.”
“Coincidentally, I also prefer the sword and shield. I had a teacher who taught me some basic swordsmanship. She said it was the essence of armament, reflecting the accumulated experience of humanity over ages.”
“Well said. However, on the battlefield, the only job for a knight’s tongue is to stay out of the way of his teeth.”
“I agree.”
The Knight Lord seemed to despise magic, but I had no choice. No matter how I looked at it, I was in a lower weight class than him. I wouldn't be able to win with swordsmanship alone without showing my true abilities.
—Creeeak...
As the sword and shield emerged from my fingertips, the Knight Lord looked slightly surprised. Even for someone who called mages ‘miracle-workers,’ this kind of magic would be somewhat enticing.
On the battlefield, seventy percent of a soldier's waking life is spent moving, twenty percent is spent waiting and eating, and then they die after a fleeting moment of combat. It was only natural that a cherished weapon would eventually feel heavy and inconvenient.
“Impressive.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“Do all warriors of the distant future pull their armaments from thin air like that?”
“Something like that.”
Gripping his weapons in both hands, the Knight Lord descended from the pile of corpses. Standing on the same level, his presence felt even more overwhelming.
This guy has no openings.
After descending and inspecting me and my gear, the Knight Lord raised his head and met my eyes.
“You have a fine physique, but you will find yourself wanting without armor.”
“I pulled out weapons; armor shouldn't be much harder.”
“To think those miracle-workers would use magic for a warrior... that is truly surprising.”
“Is that the part that surprises you? In my time, mages and warriors have come to respect one another.”
In reality, that wasn't exactly the case, but they certainly weren't as hostile toward each other as they were in the Knight Lord's time. It wasn't a total lie.
“Then are you... a respected warrior?”
“...You could say that.”
Didn't Ravi respect me? Ravi was basically a mage-assistant, but... anyway. The Knight Lord nodded as if satisfied and readjusted his stance.
“I see. Very well. I am curious to see the skill of a warrior respected by mages.”
“Don't be disappointed. I don't have the technique to match your precision.”
“We shall see.”
—Cr-crack...
Starting from my toes, a pitch-black exoskeleton erupted over my skin, overwriting my outer layer. I removed all the organs inside my abdominal cavity meant for sustaining life and replaced them with two pairs of powerful lungs.
Two high-performance hearts. I channeled the mana cores of Queen Arachne, the Lich, and the Megido Serpent into my body, with the Dragon Heart embedded at the center. I held off on the tail and wings for now, thinking the Knight Lord might find them distasteful.
My various eyes focused on the Knight Lord, relaying every detail of information.
Evil Eye’s vision: No hostility detected.
Direwolf Alpha’s vision: Vast amount of mana.
Umbra Valkyrie’s vision: No weaknesses visible.
Queen Arachne’s vision: Movements unpredictable.
What are you guys even doing?
Since he was just standing still, that was to be expected. What mattered was what happened during the fight.
“Phew...”
A deep sigh escaped from my side.
* * *
—Clang, clang...
The Knight Lord in his scarred silver metal armor and Yoo Eon in his jet-black exoskeleton armor circled each other, maintaining their distance.
—Screech, screech...
The joints of the exoskeleton ground against each other, making a metallic sound. After they had circled for a while...
—Whoosh!!
As a deep violet flame erupted over the greatsword in Yoo Eon’s hand, the Knight Lord tightened his grip on his shield.
—BOOM!!!!
Yoo Eon lunged forward, shattering the ground and blasting away the surrounding corpses. The power from his devastating leg strength traveled through his waist and into his arms, the tip of his blade screaming through the air as it rushed toward the Knight Lord.
CLANG—!!!
The Knight Lord swung his heavy tower shield with ease, catching Yoo Eon’s greatsword at an angle. Yoo Eon, ignoring the aftershocks of the parry with his superhuman strength, swung his sword again.
Exactly four exchanges later.
—Squelch.
“Below expectations.”
Yoo Eon’s body was split perfectly down the middle.