Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Disaster (6)
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Manuel prostrated himself at Leon's feet, clinging desperately.
"Leon! Oh, Lord Leon! Heh heh heh...! This thirst! Please, do something about this thirst! Hic!"
"Sir Manuel! Get a hold of yourself!"
"What kind of disgrace is this in front of the Lord? Please, maintain some dignity!"
Leon and his knights were understandably flustered.
What kind of family was the Salazar house, after all?
During the Madella Kingdom era, they had held ministerial positions for generations.
Even after the annexation by Castel, they had been instrumental in preserving Madella's spirit.
The current head of such a meritorious family, Manuel, was also highly respected among the nobility.
"Yes! That wine! Hic hic! The one from the succession ceremony... it has to be...!"
But what was this spectacle now?
Bloodshot eyes and drool streaming from his mouth.
A sight even street beggars would avoid.
There was nothing normal about it.
"Sir Manuel! Even for you, if you keep this up, we'll have no choice but to deal with you by law!"
"Heh heh heh! Leon! Lord Leon! I'm begging you like this! Hic!"
"Haa..."
Leon tried politely to pry him off, but it was no use.
He had no idea why Manuel had ended up like this, but anyone could see communication was impossible.
In the end, he signaled his knights to forcibly remove him.
'Damn! The sap's effects are worse than I anticipated...!'
Meanwhile, Lian's expression, watching the chaos, was more grave than anyone's.
The sap's magic was rapidly consuming Manuel's weakened mind and life force.
He had overlooked the possibility that the sap itself would devour its host's spirit and vitality.
"My Lord! This may sound insane, but we need to cut that man's head off right now!"
"Don't spout nonsense in this confusion. How dare you suggest such madness..."
"I'm not joking! The sap you fed him—that magic potion's side effect is about to cause a disaster!"
"What?"
Leon was momentarily stunned, then fixed Lian with a sharp glare.
"Hold on. How do you know that? Even Simon doesn't know about it."
"That's not the point right now...!"
"On the contrary, it is crucial. Knowing that proves you've been colluding with that old man."
"Ha, this is maddening..."
Maybe it would be better to just leave Manuel as he was.
Once Leon witnessed what was about to unfold, he might belatedly realize what he'd done.
Crash!
"Uwak!"
"Kuh! What strength at his age...!"
And then.
The two knights trying to drag Manuel away tumbled across the floor with a loud crash.
"Ngh...! Krng!"
Having easily shaken off the knights, Manuel began crawling on the floor, nostrils flaring.
There was no trace of noble dignity.
But compared to what he did next, it was almost dignified.
Slurp! Glug...
He flattened himself like a dog and licked up the spilled wine from the ground.
"Ah! Sir Manuel! What on earth are you doing?!"
"What is this? Has he truly lost his mind...?"
"What do we do? Should we pull him away again?"
"Be careful! If it's possessed by an evil spirit, touching it rashly could backfire!"
"No, evil spirits? That's just superstition..."
The knights only exchanged glances.
Not one dared to intervene with Manuel in his eerie frenzy.
"Grrgh...! That!"
At that moment, Manuel convulsed violently, as if some problem had arisen.
"Gack...! Gulk!"
His eyes rolled back, nose bleeding, foam at his mouth.
His veins bulged blue like writhing earthworms, as if about to burst.
"Kgh!"
Then, abruptly, like something snapping, the convulsions stopped.
His breathing did too.
"D-did he die?"
In the brief silence.
One knight cautiously approached the fallen Manuel to check.
Crunch! Crackle!
"Hiaaaak!"
Suddenly, a brutish hand seized the knight's head.
It slowly crushed the helmet with inhuman strength.
Soon, the knight's body dangled limply in midair.
"M-monster!?"
"I-it's an evil spirit! He really was possessed!"
The revived Manuel was no longer human.
Branches sprouted from his eye sockets like deer antlers.
"...Lian. Explain. What the hell is that...?"
"What else? The price of your magic misuse."
"Impossible! I never ordered it to become a monster like that!"
The thing that was once Manuel turned its head toward Leon's voice.
It approached him with jerky, puppet-like movements.
"What are you doing! Don't just stand there—protect the Lord!"
"Hurry and escort the Lord to safety!"
"My Lord! This way!"
"Georges! Luko! Fabio! You three stay here, ensure the citizens' safety, and exterminate that monster!"
Even though one had died pointlessly, these were knights trained in martial arts their whole lives.
Three together should be enough to take it down, they calculated.
"Wait! First, arrest Lian! He stands accused of conspiring in the court mage's rebellion and fleeing!"
"My Lord! Now's not the time for...!"
"Don't you understand? He might be involved in this too. We can't let him go!"
At Leon's command, the knight looked troubled and glanced at Lian.
"Ha, still on about that crap..."
Lian muttered irreverently aloud, but they ignored it.
Honestly, even as Leon's knight, he felt much the same deep down.
"Lian. You have no reason to stay here anyway, so come along."
"Hmm. Not sure that's a good idea."
"This isn't a request."
But it wasn't their place to judge if the Lord's orders were right or wrong.
They were here only to obey.
The knights drew swords on Lian and Pablo.
"Sir Knights! Shouldn't you deal with that monster first?!"
"Don't worry. Those three are among our best. Entrusting it to them isn't...!"
"They all look like they're about to die soon, though?"
"What!?"
Squelch!
"Hiyaaak!!"
No sooner had Pablo spoken than one knight battling the monster screamed in agony.
A branch from the monster protruded deep into his eye.
"Damn! My sword won't come out!"
"Hey! Someone pull my sword...!"
The other two struggled desperately to retrieve their swords from the monster's body.
But as its brutish claws reached for them too, they abandoned the swords and retreated hastily.
"Kuh! How do you fight a monster like this...!"
"Fabio! You okay? You should fall back!"
"Grrgh..."
They were prepared to lay down their lives for the Lord, but that didn't mean charging into reckless battle.
The knights tried to retreat, supporting their comrade stabbed in the eye.
But it was too late—his body soon went limp.
"Too late! Drop him and run! He'll turn into the same monster soon!"
Lian's urgent shout.
The knight unhesitatingly dropped his comrade's corpse and backed away far.
And it was the right call.
Crack crackle!
The small branch in the eye grew long like a horn.
The dead man slowly rose.
"H-heck! Even Fabio's a monster now!"
"This is bad. Our attacks barely work, and now their numbers are growing...!"
The knights sensed it instinctively.
The moment these monsters hit the streets, the disaster would begin.
They'd multiply rapidly using citizens as hosts.
Only the knight whose head was crushed with his helmet lay cold on the ground.
It could be chalked up to brain damage, but probably not.
'I see. True to plant zombies. Propagating by grafting, huh?'
At least it wasn't like zombie movies—no biting or scratching infection.
And Lian had already intuitively grasped the monsters' weakness.
These plant zombies' core was a parasitic plant rooted in the nervous system.
The branches through the eyes were just terminal tissues from the plant's perspective.
"The neck! Like I said earlier, unless you sever the neck, the corpse will keep moving!"
"But swords don't penetrate the monster! It's not hardness—feels like something's gripping tight!"
But knowing the weakness wasn't the end.
One of the three swords stuck in the Manuel-zombie was already in the nape.
"No choice. I'll handle it—everyone, back off!"
"We're counting on you, mage hunter!"
The two knights carefully retreated, putting distance between them and the monsters.
Perhaps thinking Lian was the only one who could turn the tide.
The knights surrounding Lian began stepping aside one by one.
"What are you doing?!"
But some still couldn't accept it.
"Lian is accused of conspiring in the court mage's rebellion! Does it make sense to let a traitor wield a sword?!"
"But My Lord...!"
"I forbid it! Knights of House Monteir! Fulfill your duty!"
At Leon's bellow, the knights exchanged glances.
"Even so, we can't disobey the Lord's orders."
"What are you saying? This is fulfilling our duty!"
"My Lord! We'll gladly accept any punishment later."
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"Go, mage hunter! Hurry and slay those abominations...!"
In an instant, the knights meant to protect the Lord were defying orders instead.
Those still obeying clashed physically with the others.
But the result was the same: Lian's encirclement broke.
"Need cover fire?"
"I'm good for now. You back off too, Pablo."
Lian blew on his fingertips and rubbed them slowly.
He drew his sword and smeared the invisible spark onto the blade.
"Magic...?"
The blade glowed red without any apparent source.
As everyone's eyes widened in shock.
Taat!
Lian launched toward the two approaching monsters, drawing two perfect arcs.
A single fluid motion that severed both necks seamlessly.
Sizzle! Thud!
Acrid smoke rose as both heads fell.
The branches withered, crumbling; the headless bodies collapsed.
"As expected of the mage hunter! The rumors are true!"
"Did you see that? Not a quiver in his blade."
"How much practice does it take to cut so cleanly...? On par with capital knights!"
The knights exclaimed in admiration.
To them, lifelong trainees, Lian's swordplay was flawless.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Fine heroic display, that."
"......"
Lian emotionlessly shook off his sword, cooling the residual heat.
Leon clapping was unusual, but hardly from goodwill.
"Think I don't see through your scheme? Clever trap. Play the hero while pinning all blame on me. Nice try."
"Writing a whole script, huh? Childhood dream a playwright?"
"Sheathe the sword and surrender quietly. I don't want to treat you like common criminals."
Lian still gripped the hilt, glaring at Leon.
From afar, maybe it'd be better for everyone if blades were drawn now.
"No more holding back! Lian! I'll clear a path somehow...!"
"Calm down, Pablo."
Tap tap tap—
Lian stopped Pablo from drawing and patted his shoulder.
Pablo flinched briefly, then silently released the hilt.
"Even if late, news will reach in four days, but go ahead first—tell Isabel I'll be home late."
"Understood."
Lian finally sheathed his sword.
"What are you waiting for? Arrest him."
"But, My Lord..."
"What? Fulfilling your duty again?"
"...No."
"Tch."
Leon clicked his tongue, glaring at the knights.
Even those sworn to his house acting like this...
"Don't blame them too much. I'll come willingly."
"Good. That's more like it."
With Lian submitting, things would return to normal soon, Leon believed.
He turned away, ignoring the knights quietly paying respects to Lian.