Chapter 423: Proof of Existence (11)
Chapter 423: Proof of Existence (11)
Being the center of attention is a bothersome thing.
It might be different for those who make a living standing on stages or podiums. However, until recently, I was nothing more than the second son of a rural viscount, unaccustomed to the gaze of others. The pouring interest was bound to be a burden.
A life where whispers followed my every footstep.
Strangely, even hiding my identity didn't change much. If anything, the fact that I was concealing my face with a hood seemed to pique people's curiosity even more.
Then again, it was understandable.
Two mercenaries had suddenly appeared, carrying the Imperial Seal of the Empire. Furthermore, both of us were quite well-built, making us stand out wherever we went.
It wasn't surprising that we were met with wary glances.
"I heard they were commissioned by the Imperial Household..."
"No way. Would the Emperor just hand out seals like that? They must be of noble blood."
"Could they be the Imperial Intelligence Agency I've heard so much about?"
It seemed no one had realized my true identity yet. For me, that was a relief.
The cause of the mass outbreak of demonic beasts remained unknown, but if it was related to the incident, the Dark Cult was likely involved. And to the Dark Cult, I was a person of extreme interest.
Revealing my identity would only complicate matters. Of course, I wouldn't be able to hide it forever.
The moment I pulled out my hand axes, most people would realize who I was.
However, unlike me, Sir Reynold didn't seem bothered by the eyes of the crowd.
"I didn't know you possessed the Imperial Seal."
It was a plain question.
Even so, I found myself giving an awkward smile. Come to think of it, the fact that I was a possessor of the Dragon Blood Runes was only known to my closest companions.
It was only natural for Sir Reynold to have questions.
After a moment's thought, I offered a plausible excuse.
"I received it recently. They said it was a reward for taking down a subordinate of the Evil God."
"The weight of that emblem is not light."
By 'emblem,' he seemed to be referring to the dragon pattern engraved on the seal.
It was something I already knew. But since I couldn't talk back to an elder giving well-intentioned advice, I quietly waited for him to continue.
"It means that not just in the Empire, but anywhere on the continent, you can achieve what you desire. Just like today."
"I'll have to be just as cautious, though."
"I'm glad you realize that. Remember well that interest and vigilance are two sides of the same coin."
The reason Sir Reynold warned me was soon revealed.
As soon as we left the military camp and headed toward the area where the demonic beasts were appearing, I felt a presence following us from behind. They weren't making much of an effort to hide.
When I glanced back, two Holy Knights came to a halt.
The one who spoke was a middle-aged knight.
"As you know, it is also the duty of the Holy Kingdom to ensure the safety of our distinguished guests."
"It's unnecessary."
It was Sir Reynold who stepped up to respond.
His heavy, cold voice was perfect for exerting pressure—especially when the opponent couldn't easily determine our status.
Of course, the other side didn't back down easily.
"Please understand. If word were to get out that an envoy of the Empire died within the Holy Kingdom's jurisdiction..."
"We are not envoys. We've simply come on personal business."
I swallowed a dry laugh at Sir Reynold's brazenness.
To show the Imperial Seal and then claim to have no connection to the Imperial Household... It was an excuse that obviously wouldn't fly.
At this point, the other side had no choice but to take a firm stance.
The two took a step forward, pleading in an earnest tone.
"Please, just this once, show us some consideration. We are merely following orders from above."
It was a persuasion tactic aimed at evoking sympathy.
Such is the sorrow of those caught in the middle, isn't it? One side hounding them to get it done, and the other side stubbornly refusing to comply.
For a moment, even I felt a flicker of pity.
Sir Reynold, however, remained completely unmoved.
"Is that not your own problem? I'll say it again: the Empire will not hold the Holy Kingdom responsible."
"But..."
The conversation was going in circles. If left like this, we might be playing tug-of-war until dawn.
In the end, I had to step in.
I lowered my voice as much as possible and asked.
"Is the Holy Kingdom's request only to escort us?"
"Huh? Yes... that, that is correct."
It happened right then.
I bent my knees slightly, and as I lowered my posture, my breathing slowed. A single sword shot forward, cutting through that heavy flow.
A ray of light, or a straight line.
Any expression would do. It didn't even take an instant for my blade to reach the Holy Knight's throat.
The Holy Knight instinctively flinched, but it was already too late.
Dry words escaped my lips once more.
"Even after this?"
Only then did emotion return to the face of the dazed Holy Knight.
First bewilderment, then fear, and finally, anger.
He was also a martial artist who had trained for a long time. There was no way he would quietly let such a provocation slide.
My prediction hit the mark before long.
The Holy Knight's head jerked sharply. My blade's tip grazed his throat, leaving a thin red line on the man's skin.
One step. He lunged into my space, throwing a punch.
If I were to swing my sword now, it would be the end. Naturally, it was an impossible strategy in a real fight, but this was the Holy Kingdom's military camp.
There was no way I could take a Holy Knight's life.
It was an excellent improvisation—if my skills had been only slightly lower.
My sword soared into the sky as if bouncing off. The blade began to spin, and my arm, having regained its freedom, immediately swept outward, hooking the Holy Knight's elbow.
Then, a surge of strength.
Before the punch could even land, the Holy Knight's body flipped in mid-air with an ominous cracking sound.
Thud. As the shockwave rang out, the sword I had tossed into the air began its descent.
Snatching it was the job of my remaining hand.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself as I slowly stood up. The face of the remaining Holy Knight had long since frozen stiff.
I had only one question to ask.
"May we leave now?"
The remaining knight glanced down at his comrade groaning on the ground. He looked resentful, but it was clear to anyone that my skills were far superior.
We don't need an escort.
Could there be a more efficient way to prove that fact?
He must have felt humiliated as a knight of the Holy Kingdom, but there was nothing he could do for now. A trembling voice leaked from the knight's mouth.
"...Go."
I turned and walked away without hesitation, and Sir Reynold naturally joined me. Before long, a faint chuckle broke out beside me.
"You've become quite the man in the meantime."
"I wasn't originally like this..."
A bitter smile formed on my lips. The problem was that as I grew stronger, I tended to rely more and more on brute force.
Problems that could be solved through dialogue should be solved through dialogue.
However, Sir Reynold's philosophy seemed to be the exact opposite.
"Might is also an excellent means of dialogue. It is not the attitude of a martial artist to let their weapons rot."
"I'm afraid Senior Elsie would say something similar."
"Of course. She also carries the blood of Lainella... Heh, remember this well. When you have a child, shouldn't you pass down the name of Lainella?"
A deep sigh escaped my teeth. To think I was already being nagged about my future children's education.
I replied with a hint of annoyance.
"In that case, I'd rather pass down the name of Percus."
"Hmm, that wouldn't be bad either... but our family needs a successor too, don't you think?"
In the past, I would have been treated strictly as a son-in-law marrying into the family.
Now, even if I said I'd pass down the Percus name, there wasn't much pushback. It was likely thanks to my elevated status, but it felt bittersweet nonetheless.
In the end, this is what noble marriage is.
It's nothing more than a business transaction. Even though the relationship between Senior Elsie and me was much purer than that.
While traveling with Sir Reynold had its burdensome aspects, there were also the rewards I had expected.
"Have you been here before?"
I asked Sir Reynold once we were a fair distance from the camp.
He was leaning over, pinching a bit of the black-stained soil from the earth. He even rubbed it between his fingers and sniffed it.
At a glance, it looked ridiculous, but Sir Reynold's expression was deadly serious.
Contrary to my expectations, Sir Reynold's answer came without hesitation.
"It was quite a long time ago. Back when I was still a mercenary."
"Was it like this back then?"
My eyes scanned the surroundings. A flat, barren wasteland; the soil was so strangely black it felt eerie.
And what about the ground? It lacked resistance to the point of feeling soft, leaving deep footprints with every step.
It was an unpleasant place.
Most humans visiting this place would likely feel the same way I did.
"No, it wasn't like this. It was shortly after the mass outbreaks of demonic beasts began. Back then, there were still lush forests and green meadows. But now, not a trace remains."
"You came here to subjugate the demonic beasts."
I drew the most logical conclusion from the information provided. Sir Reynold didn't deny my deduction.
"Have you heard why I quit being a mercenary?"
"Wasn't it because Count Lainella came to find you? That your heart was eventually moved by his persuasion..."
Sir Reynold rubbed the soil between his fingers repeatedly in silence.
By now, darkness had settled over the world. The stagnant air added a heavy weight to every breath.
Only silence remained on the land where life had vanished.
So quiet that even the sound of breathing felt sharp.
"I was stubborn back then. I had no intention of budging, even if my brother came for me. Because I had work left to do."
His words were steeped in deep regret.
It was the first time I realized Sir Reynold possessed such a wide range of emotions. His blue eyes were wandering vacantly somewhere in the past.
"I had to get revenge."
"...Revenge?"
"Yes. Revenge for my comrades. Right here, the majority of my comrades died."
My brow furrowed slightly.
Sir Reynold was a Great Mage. I didn't know if he was that powerful back when he was a mercenary, but he must have been at least at Senior Elsie's current level. And yet, his mercenary group suffered near-total annihilation?
They might have been unlucky enough to encounter a powerful demonic beast. But if it was enough to take down a skilled mercenary group in an instant, the danger level of those beasts would be beyond imagination.
Naturally, it wasn't something that could be controlled by one or two Holy Knight Orders. It would require an army to ensure a stable subjugation.
I reflexively questioned Sir Reynold's words.
"That can't be. If such a powerful demonic beast existed..."
"That's what everyone said. That we had seen wrong. In truth, the things that attacked us were demonic beasts commonly found in this area. The only difference was... they were incredibly intelligent and ferocious."
As he spoke, Sir Reynold slowly straightened his back. His eyes were still fixed on the grains of soil remaining in his hand.
"But no one believed me. Even as years passed, no similar phenomenon occurred, and I was growing tired. Perhaps that's why I returned to the family's embrace."
"Then why on earth did you come back..."
"I thought I had forgotten too. But strangely, for some time now, the memories of that day keep coming back to me."
I heard the sound of teeth grinding. Sir Reynold's expression was beyond distorted; it was harrowing.
"I finally remember... That day, I definitely saw a girl."
"What? A girl... in a place where monsters appear?"
"Yes."
Sir Reynold's eyes suddenly snapped forward. A faint flame was flickering in those blue eyes.
"I remember long black hair fluttering... That child was smiling. And those eyes, those eyes...!"
It was then that his wide-open eyes darted behind me.
My eyes followed his gaze. But there was nothing there. Only a wind of unknown origin was rustling past.
"...Did you see it?"
"No, nothing..."
In the first place, at this distance, there was no way I wouldn't have noticed a presence.
Just as I was about to soothe Sir Reynold, thinking his nerves were too frayed.
A long tail of jet-black hair flickered past.
Behind Sir Reynold, far in the distance.
In a lightning-fast move, a sword was already gripped in my hand.
Sir Reynold and I began to move closer together, guarding each other's backs. it was a basic strategy for dealing with an enemy that could appear from anywhere.
"Nephew-in-law, I think I heard laughter."
"Sir Reynold, please stop with the scary stories..."
Then, pfft, a clear, shallow laugh rang out.
I turned my head this way and that to find the source, but no human shadow was visible. Instead, what greeted me was an even greater trembling.
The earth was vibrating.
The ground hummed and shook. I looked at Sir Reynold with a bewildered expression.
And Sir Reynold, well.
His face was terrifyingly expressionless.
"It's just like back then."
"Back then? You don't mean..."
Before the doubt could even be voiced.
An ear-splittingly high-pitched sound tore through the earth.
It was an earthworm the size of a house. Its mouth was so hideously large that it didn't even have what you'd call a face. Only the opening of that horrific pillar of flesh was visible.
It wasn't just one or two. The number of monsters surging up was now more than I could count on one hand.
Small, thin beast-like eyes were aimed at Sir Reynold and me.
The intent seemed all too clear. So much so that it was hard to believe they were beasts following mere instinct.
After a silence, Sir Reynold asked me.
"...How much time can you buy?"
Gritting my teeth, I poured Aura into my sword.
"Until I die!"
It was a ball held in the middle of the night.