Chapter 49
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 49. Knight of Cold
Half a day since the expedition entered beyond the Ice Wall.
Normally, this is precious time I would spend happily pondering 'What should I cook today' after offering lunch to Lucia.
Now I am consuming that precious time covered in the entrails of mutants contaminated by Abyss.
No romance. Too little.
If there is a consolation, it is the fact that this suffering is for Lucia.
The look Lucia showed before leaving. That one word handed with a trembling voice, 'Please return safely'.
With that one memory, I can walk into the Abyss or Hell.
……
Anyway.
While advancing dealing with mutants, the surrounding coniferous forest was becoming increasingly bizarre.
Trunks were twisted in spirals. Shapes like tree trunks wrung out like rags.
Black thread-like things connected from branch to branch like spiderwebs, and in parts where bark was peeled off, tree flesh was exposed but──
Pulsating.
Trees are breathing.
Not plant respiration, but like animal pulse. Repeating swelling and sinking regularly as if blood vessels expand and contract.
Even things like eyeballs hanging at the ends of branches.
Was game addiction really a disease.
"……Disgusting. Trees are staring."
Freya muttered with a spooky voice.
Agree. Experience of being observed by plants was not on my bucket list.
Leona was gripping the Holy Sword's handle without saying anything. Expression is usual poker face, but ear tips are slightly red. Cold, nervous, or both.
We were advancing through such a bizarre forest.
Terrain ahead changed.
Trees cut off suddenly.
Eyeball-hanging branches stop exactly at a certain boundary line. As if they cannot grow beyond an invisible line, or refused to grow.
Forest ended, and a wide plain unfolded.
Moment vision opened up.
Everyone's steps stopped simultaneously.
"Wait. Over there."
Freya spoke first.
Filling the plain were demonic beasts.
Hundreds.
No, thousands.
To the end of vision, where the horizon should be, black dots filled densely.
Frost Bear mutants. Six-legged wolves. Things that were rabbits. And even new types of anomalies never seen before.
In short, Monster Festival.
Atmosphere is a bit gloomy to call it a festival though.
But strange.
Demonic beasts are beasts moving by instinct.
Eat if hungry, bite if angry, run away if scared.
That is a demonic beast.
But the legion in front of eyes right now was not like that.
Large mutants in front row. Medium in middle row. Small in rear row.
Aligning lines.
Beasts standing in line.
Forming formation, maintaining ranks.
For beasts without intelligence to have such organization, something is needed.
Exactly a commander.
And I remember the content of the original work.
Existence that led the monster legion.
Evil God's vanguard. Commander of Monster Legion.
One who took that role was──
Black Knight.
Me.
But I am here?
Then who on earth is the guy commanding monsters over there?
Don't tell me they hired a newbie in the meantime?
Because I was absent without leave processed as recommended resignation?
Was Evil God side's HR system this competent.
Problem is 'Who' is replacing my position.
In the original work, characters who could command monster legion were very rare.
About Seven Fingers including Black Knight.
If an existence capable of operating thousands of monsters with that level of organization, rank must be quite high.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Then.
Monster legion split.
Central column opened left and right making a path.
Thousand monsters stepped aside simultaneously.
Trained movement.
And through that gap.
There was an existence walking out.
Knight.
Humanoid wearing armor.
Walking on two legs, holding a sword in two arms, existence having shining eyes inside helmet.
Armor made of ice.
Ice armor tinged with pale blue light. Frost was hovering along the armor surface.
Light leaking from helmet gap is blue.
If mine is red, that side is blue.
Weapon in hand is longsword. Frost sword with blade itself made of ice.
If there is a black armored knight, is it nature's providence that there is an ice armored knight too.
Will name 'Knight of Cold'.
Knight of Cold is looking straight at me.
Zing-
Blue glint and red glint met.
Moment gazes crossed, Abyss magic power rose from all directions.
Leona gripped Holy Sword handle entering alert posture.
Freya put hand on twin swords too.
Grrrrrrr-
Thousand monsters were holding breath. As if waiting for commander's order.
And Knight of Cold lifted longsword.
High.
Slowly.
Vertically.
That was the signal.
Awooooooo!
Monster legion roared simultaneously. Roars of thousand monsters combined vibrating the atmosphere.
And charge.
Earth shook. Ash gray snow overturned.
Hundreds of feet, claws, tentacles, horns rushed crushing snowfield.
'I believe in your skills. If together nothing we cannot do, so trust each other and show strength in each position.'
"Small fries clean up small fries yourselves."
"What? Small fry?! Did you call us small fry just now?!"
Freya bared teeth and pulled twin swords.
"Just wait, pitch-black bastard! Will settle who is small fry after this ends!"
"Freya, focus on monsters now."
"Got it! Let's go!"
Freya moved body grumbling. Twin swords danced and lead wolf mutants lost heads rolling on snowfield.
Frost Bear mutant tried to strike Leona lifting front paw. Leona didn't dodge.
Blocked setting Holy Sword vertically. Light and Abyss collided sparking.
"Must take clue for Lucia. Cannot stop here."
Holy Sword's light became one level stronger.
Whoosh─
White light split ash gray world. Every touching monster flesh purified breaking into ash.
Freya shouted cutting two wolves continuously from side.
"Left empty!"
"Know."
Leona cut three mutants on left in one line. Light trajectory remained as afterimage.
"Hmph, quite good."
"Enough praise, look behind."
Two girls are hitting it off.
Good teamwork. Leona purifies front monsters with light, Freya clears flanks with twin swords, warriors block rear with formation.
Leave mobs to comrades.
I go straight.
Deployed Aura of Abyss.
Pitch-black wave spread radially.
Monsters on path pushed left and right. Close guys knees buckled just by aura pressure, far guys stepped aside instinctively.
One monster leaving path opened jaw from side.
Fed a punch. Head burst.
Don't interrupt. Going to Boss Battle now.
Distance to Knight of Cold 30 meters.
I looked straight at Knight of Cold.
Full plate armor. Monster legion. Abyss energy.
Openly copied me.
No, too crude to even call copy.
Fake released just changing color.
Cannot tolerate.
There are three unforgivable sins in the world.
Making heroine cry. Interfering with happy ending.
And plagiarism.
I aimed greatsword at Knight of Cold.
"Crude fake. Will smash you."
One romantic knight in this world is enough with me.
Bang─!
Swords clashed head-on.
Shockwave spread circularly blowing away surrounding ash gray snow. Traces of impact engraved radially on ground.
Can know from first bout.
Strong.
Not meaning strength is strong.
Guy has technique.
Position holding sword, timing loading weight, judgment switching offense and defense in one breath.
Combat method based on swordsmanship system.
This guy is a swordsman before a monster.
Second clash.
Guy's frost sword came down diagonally.
Along sword strike trajectory air froze and ice fragments spread like shotgun.
Freezing spread from blade.
Simple yet effective side effect 'Freeze if touch'.
Ice trying to crawl up greatsword blade to handle.
Annoying attribute.
But Aura of Abyss is formidable too.
Black wave eroded freezing from inside. Aura permeated between ice crystal structures decomposing from inside.
Crunch.
Ice broke scattering into black powder.
Pushed as is.
In strength I am above.
"…Kuh."
Knight of Cold retreated one step back.
Guy made sound for first time.
Sound emotions worn out, unable to distinguish whether pain or anger.
I kept pushing.
Fourth. Fifth. Sixth clash.
Every time exchanging sword strikes Knight of Cold pushed half step.
Crack formed on ice armor. Ice gauntlet on shoulder part split.
But.
Pushed but not collapsing.
Moment sword pushed frost spreads explosively creating ice wall.
While widening distance with that ice wall, two or three monsters block my front like shields.
Using monsters as tools.
As shield, as time earning, as blinder.
Entire legion is this guy's limbs.
Method operating monsters as commander.
Good. Fun.
Felt since earlier, Knight of Cold's sword strike pattern is somewhere familiar.
Where did I see? What is this deja vu?
In combat. Thinking later.
Besides method to check doubt is simple.
Just beat that guy up and take off armor.
Break helmet face comes out. Face comes out identity known.
Simple is best.
Let's call it Northern solution.
Raised aura output one level.
Wooooooong─!
Abyss magic power flowed down riding greatsword. Blade shimmering with pitch-black flame.
Knight of Cold erected ice barrier.
Smashed it.
Barrier shattered like glass.
Three monsters intervened.
Cut them all down.
Narrowing distance.
5 meters.
3 meters.
1 meter.
Stuck slash fully loaded with Aura of Abyss into Knight of Cold's chest.
Crack──!
Ice armor broke.
Chest and left shoulder armor flew away explosively.
Helmet half fell off too.
Ice fragments scattered everywhere.
Knight of Cold pushed back and kneeled.
And.
Revealed through broken armor.
Red hair.
That entered eyes first.
Next skin.
Skin discolored by Abyss contamination. Original flesh color changed to ash gray, pattern like black veins spread like roots along neck and collarbone.
Next saw face.
Beard grew bushy.
Face covered with bushy beard but couldn't deceive bone structure.
Broad forehead. Angled jaw. High cheekbones.
And eyes.
One side blue glint seen inside helmet. Eye Abyss erosion completed.
But remaining one side was──
Human eye.
Uncontaminated amber pupil.
"……Dad?"
Voice heard from behind.
Red-haired girl. Freya.
She stopped cutting monsters and stood still. Both hands holding twin swords were trembling shiver shiver.
Same amber pupils faced face beyond broken armor directly.
Freya's lips trembled.
"Why Dad… why in that appearance…"
Northern Grand Duke. Valter Grombalt.
Freya's father. Lucia's maternal uncle.
Guardian of the North.
That person missing beyond Ice Wall of Lamentation.
Became commander of monster legion while encroached by Abyss.
To think one filling my empty spot is father-in-law.
Newbie entered resigned position happens to be father-in-law.