Chapter 388: Bread and Dagger (86)
Chapter 388: Bread and Dagger (86)
Swords and blood dance.
On the snowfield where the sunset had already begun to settle, a grim display of martial prowess was unfolding. Though it was merely the wretched movements of two men trying to take each other's lives, it was a performance in its own right.
Could there be any dance more perfectly synchronized in its fleeting moments?
Several bundles of tentacles erupted from the mass of flesh. Their sharp, awl-like tips pointed directly at me.
Then, the tentacles shot forward in an instant.
I had no intention of taking the hit quietly.
As a silver sword flash exploded from my blade, blood sprayed from between the severed bundles of tentacles. Seizing that opening, a middle-aged man lunged into my personal space.
It was Leoric.
Whether it was his main body or a prosthetic body, I couldn't tell.
It was likely a prosthetic body. There was no reason for him to do something as foolish as putting his main body on the front lines.
A kick, carrying the full momentum of his sprint, slammed into my waist.
Thump. My flesh and bones shuddered from the impact.
I managed to block it by turning the flat of my blade, but it was impossible to completely offset the sheer force of the blow.
Muttering a curse under my breath, I slid across the surface of the flesh.
The boiling flesh seemed to cling to me, trying to snag my ankles.
I quickly kicked off the flesh and retreated several paces with a series of light leaps.
Immediately, Leoric’s numerous prosthetic bodies trembled their skulls and threw their mouths wide open.
It was as if they had been waiting for me to do exactly that.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
One by one, the heads began to vomit a pure white light, like glowing bulbs.
I hurriedly concentrated Aura into my sword.
Binding.
The surface of my blade reflected the beams of light like a mirror. Adjusting the angle, I swept the beams across the surroundings. Several of Leoric’s prosthetic bodies began to sizzle as they caught fire.
The smell of burning was horrific. The scent of cooking corpses was something I could never get used to, no matter how many times I smelled it.
I panted, catching my breath.
I was starting to feel the exhaustion. Leoric, on the other hand, seemed as energetic as ever, screaming through the mouths of several prosthetic bodies.
“USE-LESS!”
“I’m getting tired of hearing that… so shut up!”
My feet kicked off the ground once more.
However, I couldn't focus entirely on Leoric. The contact I had been waiting for still hadn't come.
It should be about time for them to arrive.
As if answering my expectations, a voice suddenly rang out from the magic tool hooked over my ear.
It was a small, secretive whisper.
[I-Ian! Are you safe?! We’ve just arrived!]
“What about Seria?”
[She’s right here with me!]
I let out a sigh of relief.
Finally, the tide of battle showed signs of turning.
Of course, Leoric didn't just stand by. Two prosthetic bodies lunged at me, throwing a punch and a kick respectively.
It looked like simple brawling, but the power behind it was not to be ignored.
Leoric’s body, having accepted the power of the Evil God, was strong.
A simple punch or kick carried enough force to rival a cannonball. Gritting my teeth, I deflected the attacks of the two prosthetic bodies using the Binding I had been maintaining.
With a clear clang, the fingers and toes that collided with my sword were crushed.
And then came Unbinding.
Slash. The blade, driven deep, drew a horizontal line of light.
Because I had put everything into the strike, the muscles in both my arms contracted stiffly. By the end, I couldn't even feel any resistance.
Leoric’s two prosthetic bodies were split in half and scattered.
Only then did I find a moment of breathing room. Panting, I relayed my requirements.
“Have Seria provide support as quickly as possible, and Your Highness, please open that ‘Eye.’”
[The ‘Eye’?]
“Yes, you know… that ‘Dragon’s Eye’ or whatever it was! Hurry!”
At my urging, I could sense a flustered atmosphere from the other side of the magic tool.
The results manifested shortly after.
Seria came running as if she were flying and landed behind me. Even though she landed on the squelching flesh, she didn't make the slightest sound.
Immediately after her clean landing, Seria grabbed my hand with a look of anxiety.
“I-Ian… are you okay? Your breathing sounds terrible, and you’re covered in blood…!”
“It’s not my blood.”
In truth, some of it was mine, but I chose not to mention it.
Seria’s hands were already trembling uncontrollably.
“Don’t lie to me. Your blood has a clean scent, Ian… unlike the stench of this disgusting monster.”
I was about to ask what kind of nonsense that was.
Then, I remembered Seria’s secret and gave a bitter smile.
My eyes flickered toward Betty, whom I had set down further back.
Gray hair and blue eyes.
Why hadn't I realized it sooner?
While striking down a tentacle of flesh that lashed out like a whip, I spoke firmly to Seria.
“Seria, do you trust me?”
“Wh-what?”
Now it was Seria’s turn to sound bewildered.
It was a frustrating situation when every second counted, but I didn't rush her.
This was just that important.
“I asked if you trust me. Can you promise not to doubt me, no matter what happens…?”
“O-Of course!”
Seria raised her voice as if the question itself was absurd.
It felt more like I was the one being interrogated.
Her voice, heated with emotion, poured out.
“How could I ever doubt you, Ian? I swear, I’ve never done that, not even once. I’d die right now if you told me to! What on earth do you think of me…?”
“You are not a monster.”
Just those words.
At the sudden statement, Seria’s eyes went blank.
She looked like she had no idea what I was talking about. A natural reaction, I suppose.
Snap. A tentacle flying toward us was sliced apart by silver Aura. The severed tentacle began to thrash, but I didn't give it a second glance.
It was a familiar sight by now.
There was a more important conversation to finish.
“You said you don’t doubt me, right? Then believe what I say, no matter what.”
“I-I mean, yes. But what are you talking about…?”
“And I will never let you carry the burden alone.”
Seria tilted her head, looking even more puzzled.
I couldn't explain the circumstances right now.
This was entirely a secret of the Yurdina family. As an outsider, I couldn't be the one to reveal the truth.
Even if it were to be revealed, the one to do it should be Senior Delphine, the successor of the Yurdina family.
Nevertheless, I emphasized it again with strong resolve.
“So don’t try to sacrifice yourself for no reason. If anything happens, make sure to talk to me or Senior Delphine, and don’t you dare think about leaving my side…”
“S-Stop!”
Seria cried out, looking like she was about to burst into tears at my continued nagging.
She looked somewhat aggrieved.
It seemed my words of concern had made her quite embarrassed.
“Ian, I’m not a child. You don’t need to tell me every little thing like that. And for the record, I have absolutely no intention of leaving your side…”
“I’m just saying, just in case.”
I ruffled Seria’s gray hair as if to calm her down.
The battle was still in a lull.
With tentacles being sliced as soon as they flew in and prosthetic bodies being blown apart, Leoric seemed to have decided to observe the situation for a moment. It would be a short wait, of course; once he gauged Seria’s strength, the assault would resume.
In that brief interval, I spoke to Seria.
“Don’t ever disappear on your own, Seria.”
It was a sentiment she might have been tired of hearing by now.
Yet, Seria didn't show any sign of discomfort. To be precise, she seemed to be enjoying the feeling of my hand stroking her hair.
Instead, the protest came from elsewhere.
[Um, Sir Ian? So, what are we supposed to be doing?]
The voice carried a hint of subtle dissatisfaction.
At the Princess’s pouting voice coming through the magic tool, I fell silent for a moment. Come to think of it, I hadn't told her the detailed plan.
When my hand faltered, Seria also snapped back to her senses.
This was a battlefield.
She realized we had been wasting too much time.
To me, it was a vital issue, but to Seria, it must have felt like she was just playing along with some nonsensical talk. It was only natural to want to wrap up the battle first.
There was only one mystery.
I wondered why the timid Princess had interrupted me, but it wasn't a major concern.
I threw out a small joke to break the tension.
“Your Highness, are you jealous because I’m only looking after Seria?”
The Princess’s reaction was quite dramatic.
[J-Jealous?! Wh-Why would I… toward Sir Ian… It’s not jealousy, no. It’s definitely not jealousy…!]
The Princess’s voice through the magic tool grew louder. It started as a whisper, but now it felt like thunder striking my eardrums.
That was how flustered she was.
I probably could have gotten a more interesting reaction if I pushed further, but I decided to stop there.
As long as the tension was broken, it didn't matter.
“Then please focus. We’ll likely only get one chance.”
As I stepped forward, Leoric’s eyes turned toward me.
The sight of countless prosthetic bodies’ gazes fixing on me all at once was eerie enough to be grotesque.
I had to find the main body among those prosthetic bodies.
And as far as I knew, there was only one person who could perform that task.
“Your Highness, when I give the signal, please point out the prosthetic body that ‘has color.’”
Only then did the Princess let out a short exclamation from the other side of the magic tool.
It seemed she had finally realized what my plan was.