Chapter 70
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: A Cunning Duel
-----------------------------------------------------------------
70
A Cunning Duel
Nova glared, her face a contorted mess as she worked her mouth, but unlike her usual self, she swallowed her words.
“What is it, Orange?”
“Hoo… Are you insane?”
Nova let out a long breath before speaking each word with deliberate clarity.
Seeing her face twisted so unusually, it was clear she wasn't in her right mind. She was furious.
*She figured it out. Quick on the uptake, as expected.*
I decided to be even more brazen.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. You must have heatstroke, Orange.”
I even cleaned out my ear as I replied, as if I’d just heard something utterly bizarre.
Nova glared at me, her lips twitching, before finally letting out a long sigh. She then took out a walnut and popped it into her mouth.
*Crunch.*
The sound of the cracking walnut was strangely menacing.
“Right, there’s no way our Team Leader Aron would do something like that. Even if Team Leader Aron usually beats people to a pulp and breaks down walls because he doesn’t know how to open doors.”
“I haven’t broken any recently.”
“…Even if you have broken walls before. You’re not the kind of idiot who’d get into a tournament ring, brawl with a knight, and then swing him around like a toy while screaming, are you? Right?”
*Crunch.*
Still glaring murderously, Nova seemed to have bitten into a bitter part, spitting it out before her expression hardened again.
“Are you insulting Dark Vader, the most popular man in Casedic Castle right now? You privileged Orange. Do you not fear the passion of the masses?”
“Dark Vader, my ass. I heard some guy calling him Deokgu Bei.”
“How dare someone… Ahem… It’s just that I personally like Dark Vader.”
“I’m sure you do.”
Nova gave her head a small shake and stood up.
As she did, the crumbs around her mouth fell to the floor without resistance.
“The deed is already done, and it’s not like you’d listen to me anyway… Where are you looking right now?”
“Hm? Oh, some crumbs fell.”
“That feels weirdly unpleasant. Anyway, in the finals, it’ll be Dark Vader against Kurteun.”
Nova approached me and tapped my cuirass. Unlike hers, it made a solid, heavy sound.
“Kurteun demanded something other than the 40 gold prize money from the Lord. And the Lord was in a position where he had to accept.”
Nova’s face wrinkled in disgust, like she’d just seen a bug or smelled something foul.
“What was it?”
“A night with Vivian. Of course, he dressed it up with strange words like ‘tasting’ or ‘sampling’… but then again, maybe that’s really what he meant.”
This time, Nova lightly patted my cuirass with her palm. It still made that heavy sound, unlike her own.
I briefly pictured that blockheaded young lady. If that bastard had to talk to her face-to-face for just ten minutes, any such thoughts would vanish completely. He clearly hadn’t spoken to her yet.
“I see.”
At my short reply, Nova looked up at me and chewed her lip as if in thought. I waited, noting that her eyelashes were thicker than I’d realized.
“Tell Dark Vader to forfeit.”
Nova said something unexpected.
As I narrowed my eyes, she continued.
“I don’t know the extent of Dark Vader’s strength, but that man was a member of the Royal Knights. There’s a high chance it’ll be a dog’s death. And even if he wins, the problem gets bigger. You can’t just kill a guy with ties to the royal family, and if you let him live, there’s no telling what he might pull. It’s not worth the risk for a mere 40 gold.”
Having spoken at length, Nova took a deep breath. Her eyes, like molten gold, stared at me.
I focused on Nova’s words, ‘a mere 40 gold.’
*Just how much money does she have? Has managing the budget warped her sense of finance?*
“Besides, this is our problem to solve, not Dark Vader’s. There’s no reason for him to risk his life.”
*Clang! Clang!* This time, Nova beat her own chest, producing a cheerful sound. I struggled to hold back a laugh and opened my mouth.
“I heard Dark Vader is a man who knows no defeat.”
“Defeat, my foot… He probably doesn’t know how to open a door.”
“I heard he doesn’t know how to forfeit, either.”
“…Why are there so many things he doesn’t know?”
Looking at Nova, who wouldn’t back down an inch, I paused to choose my words. But I wasn’t thick-skinned enough to drag out this childish game for long.
“I don’t know. Anyway, the 40 gold is guaranteed, right?”
“Is that the problem right now?”
“Of course, it’s the most important problem.”
“No, I’m telling you, the opponent is a former Royal Knight! Are you even listening to me…?”
“Thoughtful Orange.”
My words shut Nova’s mouth. She scowled in annoyance, but the corners of her lips twitched upward.
Taking a deep breath, Nova handed me a large brown envelope from her desk. The packaging was familiar; it looked like it came from the White Leaf Information Guild.
“This is information on Kurteun. He’s pretty famous, so there was a lot to dig up. Pass it on to Dark Vader or whatever.”
“A thoughtful, multi-purpose Orange.”
“If you can win… no, you have to win. Then we’ll figure out the rest somehow. He can’t use Aura anyway, so it’s a fifty-fifty shot, right? Just like the mercenaries say.”
Looking relieved, Nova gave me a slight push.
“Gong Orange.”
*Clang, clang!*
“Win, and I’ll play it for you as much as you want.”
Nova thumped her chest and laughed without reservation.
*She’d be in big trouble if she knew what ‘gong’ really meant.*
I smiled inwardly and nodded.
“Ah, and if you don’t mind, could you do it in this rhythm?”
I tapped my own chest in a specific beat.
The *thud-thud* sound was too heavy; it didn’t have the right flavor.
Nova frowned for a moment, then let out a long sigh. She then began to beat her chest to the rhythm I’d shown her.
*Clang- clang-clang-clang.*
It was an excellent Jajinmori rhythm.
Seeing Nova so seriously drumming the Jajinmori beat on her chest, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
Realizing she’d been tricked, Nova started yelling, and I fled the room as if escaping.
***
I sat on a roof overlooking the tournament grounds, gazing down at the arena.
It was a spot I’d discovered thanks to that good-for-nothing Inquisitor. While on patrol, I’d spotted a familiar face peeking over a rooftop and followed her up to find a rather nice vantage point.
Normally, climbing a roof in such heavy armor would cause it to collapse, but this one was remarkably sturdy and didn’t give way.
It was the house of Pelpe the stonemason, a man so cautious that, unlike the fools who drank and strolled along the castle walls with a death wish, he wore safety equipment of his own design.
*Though I doubt he ever imagined his caution would lead to this.*
I glanced at the Inquisitor, who was eating cake with her usual expressionless face, and gave a slight shake of my head. Like some kind of cat, she was good at finding places like this.
I took out the papers Nova had given me and began to read them slowly.
*Kurteun Miharta. What a shitty name.*
As Nova had said, he seemed to be quite the celebrity, as there was a great deal of information written down.
He had joined the Royal Knights at a young age. However, being too young and full of vigor, he’d engaged in a passionate romance with a palace maid, and as punishment…
*This bastard was a eunuch?*
To get off with just castration after messing with a maid in the royal palace, he was clearly lucky…
*Still, a eunuch. No wonder he had such a detestable face.*
Hmm… I hummed to myself and turned the page. Even after being castrated, he had lived a reasonably diligent life.
He was demoted to an obscure department of the royal family, and the pages were filled with the various things he’d gone through.
*Defense with the thick dagger in his left hand, offense with the rapier.*
There was no useful information regarding his combat style. It just said he was stronger than some and weaker than others, which was clearly written by someone who knew nothing about fighting.
This was a place where even a knight could be killed by a mercenary if stabbed in the back of the head while unguarded. In the heat of clashing swords, the smallest variable could turn the tide, so there was no such thing as an absolute powerhouse.
There was a reason knights wrapped themselves in steel from head to toe.
*Though that old man might be an exception.*
Pushing aside my thoughts, I continued reading the papers, slowly forming a strategy to take the man down.
*It would be cleanest if he broke the rules, giving me a justification…*
Just then, the Inquisitor beside me tapped me lightly.
I turned my head to see her offering me a piece of cake with a strangely disappointed look on her face.
I didn’t want it, but seeing that expression made me want to tease her, so I took it and put it in my mouth.
It seemed to be from Haessun Bakery, as it was incredibly sweet. I suspected this cake was the reason that good-for-nothing was still in Casedic.
The Inquisitor bit her lip and nodded, and I nodded back.
“Waaaaaah!!!”
Just then, a cheer erupted, and I looked down to see one knight holding a sword to another’s neck.
Since it was a fight between knights, it was more profitable to collect the loser’s fee, so he likely hadn’t delivered the final blow. The opposing knight bowed his head deeply, seemingly admitting defeat.
Ska announced the winner’s name, and the two knights bumped fists before turning away cleanly.
It was a clean and sportsmanlike ending, but the savage medieval crowd was filled with discontent and rained down boos.
The victorious knight raised his hands in confusion, but the boos only grew louder.
*Even if you’re taking the loser’s fee, you should have at least roughed him up a bit to give the crowd a show.*
I clicked my tongue at the knight’s lack of savvy.
“Deokgu! Deokgu! Deokgu!”
Even though I had no match today, the crowd chanted for Dark Vader.
I briefly considered changing clothes and going down for a performance, beating up a few guys, but shook my head.
The matches continued, and the man named Kurteun came up.
*A eunuch…*
I observed him with a strange sense of pity.
His opponent this time approached with far more tension than the last, but the result was the same.
A lightning-fast thrust.
*The right knee.*
His thrusts were starting to look familiar.
*Thump, thump.*
Just then, I heard someone coming up and turned my head.
It was Inquisitor Parsi.
He placed a whole cake on the roof and went back down.
The good-for-nothing Inquisitor picked up the cake and began to casually nibble on it again.
*He got stuck with a bad superior.*
Seeing the sour expression on Parsi’s face as he descended, it seemed he knew it too.
***
*…Hmm.*
Baron Pulpuchu let out a small hum.
“We must arrest that man at once!”
Gerel shouted, his sagging jaw trembling.
Ever since the Pener family’s knight had been captured and toyed with like a plaything by Deokgu Beida, Gerel had been like this.
“On what charge, might I ask?”
“Ob…obviously! For the crime of making a mockery of a knight! What are you talking about!”
Gerel, who had hesitated for a moment at Nova’s cold retort, shouted again, spittle flying from his mouth.
“Shouldn’t he be grateful enough for not being killed?”
“He suffered a humiliation worse than death! What do you mean? To be treated like that in front of so many people, his honor, the very lifeblood of a knight, has been dragged through the mud!”
*He’s not even trying to hide it anymore.*
Pulpuchu clicked his tongue at Gerel’s insolent shouting.
The Baron grimaced as his chronic headache returned. It was from thinking too much lately.
“And do you know how much he demanded for the loser’s fee?! Ten gold! Ten gold! To demand a loser’s fee from a man he beat to the brink of death! What is that if not robbery!”
At Gerel’s continued outcry, Pulpuchu let out a laugh that sounded like a cough.
*Ten gold. His nerve is as big as his body.*
Considering the usual loser’s fee was five gold, it was an excessive amount, double the norm. The fee was tacitly set at five gold, even in victory, out of consideration for the noble backing the loser.
*But ten gold… a truly ambiguous amount.*
It was a clear overstep, yet it was an awkward sum to call in the backing noble over.
*Strong and clever.*
He was dangerous, but he was also the kind of talent one would want by their side.
“Mocking a knight! Hiding his identity! And that barbaric violence! He is clearly a suspicious man! We must arrest him immediately and make him answer for his crimes!”
Gerel shouted with the passion of a loyal subject.
*Tap, tap.*
Pulpuchu tapped his fingers on the table, organizing his thoughts. The headache was a distraction, but he forced himself to endure it.
“That man must be…!”
“Be silent, Gerel.”
Pulpuchu could no longer hold back and raised his voice.
Seeing Gerel’s widened eyes, Pulpuchu spoke again.
“To question what happens in the tournament. Do you intend to drag my honor into the dirt?”
“Th-that is…”
“And the loser’s fee. I truly do not understand why you are so enraged over the affairs of knights.”
“…”
Gerel’s face flushed, but he didn’t open his mouth, merely bowing his head.
Pulpuchu looked at Gerel, then at Nova sitting opposite him, and finally at the Security Chief, whose eyes were gently closed, and let out a sigh.
Casedic was like a candle in the wind, yet here they were, engaged in this useless power struggle…
“I will not interfere in matters that occur within the tournament.”
When he spoke in a firm voice, they replied in low tones.
After a brief silence, the meeting resumed.
Pulpuchu no longer participated, merely listening.
With Gerel silent, the conversation was between Nova and the Security Chief.
“Deokgu Beida’s popularity has skyrocketed recently. I don’t agree with Gerel’s opinion, but it’s clear that it has reached a dangerous level. We must be vigilant.”
At the Security Chief’s weighty counsel, Pulpuchu nodded.
It had certainly reached a dangerous level. There were no immediate signs of trouble, but a mass of popular support was one of the things a noble had to be most wary of.
Deokgu had a charisma that drew people in.
They couldn’t help but be drawn to the way he mindlessly and spectacularly beat down arrogant knights.
But it wasn’t enough to drive him away.
Right now, Casedic needed every hand it could get, so he had to be pulled to their side one way or another.
Besides, with a name like Deokgu, it was hard to feel much tension.
Deokgu’s popularity grows, and the Lord’s seat is threatened?
*If such rumors were to spread, I’d die of embarrassment first.*
Baron Pulpuchu pressed his temples firmly.
Things had taken a strange turn, but in the end, he had gathered the knights as he had initially intended.
With Deokgu Beida drawing both popularity and resentment, even the knights whose matches were over stayed behind, waiting to see the results.
For now, the most immediate problem was Kurteun, but…
*I just don’t see Deokgu losing.*
Baron Pulpuchu took a sip of his wine, which contained an ice cube shaped like Deokgu Beida.
Of course, he had a few other preparations in place to ensure things didn’t go awry.
But the best and cleanest outcome would be for that bastard to give Deokgu a justification and then lose…
*That cunning bastard won’t make it that easy.*
Contrary to his appearance, he was a snake.
“My Lord, would you please confirm this?”
Just then, Nova handed him a document.
When he looked up, the meeting seemed to be over.
Pulpuchu checked the paper and reached for a drawer to get his seal.
*Huh?*
Pulpuchu frowned, seeing that the drawer where the seal should have been was empty.
It seemed things had been going missing lately.
***
The tournament was as profitable as a salt mine.
Kanna’s special ‘Dark Vader’ ice beer sold like hotcakes, and Hana gave me a portion of the sales.
Hana never said why she was giving it to me, and I didn’t bother to ask.
Between that, the fines from the troublemakers, and the loser’s fees from the knights, my coin purse had become so small I had to buy a new one.
*I should get a sword.*
With my pockets full, I naturally started craving new gear. I’d finish the tournament with the sword I borrowed from Jokjebi, and then I’d look for a proper one.
A decent sword could be had from a carriage driver, but since I already had a good one from a knight, if I was going to buy one, I might as well spend a fortune on a truly excellent blade.
However, finding such a sword in a backwater place like this was difficult.
*I’ll have to ask Jackson.*
Jackson would surely be able to get his hands on some fine stolen goods.
And a sword wouldn’t take as long as the magic book did.
*Speaking of which, is she even reading that magic book?*
I let out a hum as I looked at the ice sculptures of ‘Dark Vader’ beating down his enemies displayed throughout the inn.
At the center of it all was Kanna. In front of her was a colossal block of ice that nearly touched the inn’s ceiling.
With a wooden bucket over her head, Kanna circled it, carving away like a sculptor.
*Whoooosh.*
A whistling sound came from Kanna’s fingers as ice shavings flew to the side. With the bucket on her head, she looked like she was welding.
*I doubt that’s what wind magic was meant for.*
However, seeing Gguobbaorou cheering and clapping beside her, it seemed that wasn’t necessarily the case.
*Why does he always turn into that whenever he’s near Kanna…*
Today was the day of the finals, and Hana had declared the inn closed for the day. So Kanna had been at it since morning.
The finals should have been the busiest day, so when I asked why they weren’t open, Hana winked as if she were malnourished and tilted her body strangely. I didn’t press further.
Kanna had called over the Three Stooges and was now standing on their shoulders, carving the upper part of the ice.
*Whoooooosh.*
Ice shavings flew, but Kanna the artisan did not stop.
“Think you can win?”
Choco asked.
“What do you think?”
I threw the question back at him.
“They say you can’t use Aura there.”
“That’s right.”
“Then you’ll win.”
Choco answered briefly and raised his beer mug.
“You think so?”
“Killer of Stars, do you know how these so-called knights train?”
I shook my head at Choco’s question.
“They sit on silk-cushioned floors, close their eyes, and meditate. They call that bullshit training. An Aura training method, they say.”
Bermunt crushed the empty beer mug in one hand.
The mug crumpled, and the beer inside flowed between Bermunt’s massive fingers. Watching him, I felt an odd discomfort and looked away.
“Isn’t it laughable? That we, who have lived in conflict since we learned to walk, were defeated by such charlatans. All because of Aura.”
Bermunt’s mumble was thick with the rotten stench of suppressed emotions. His sand-like eyes stared intently at me.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s over. You lost to me.”
“Yes. It’s over.”
At my casual reply, he laughed as if in despair and nodded.
“It would be good if you could rip out his throat and drink his blood. I don’t like the look in his eyes.”
“No thanks. Tastes bad.”
“You drank it just fine in the desert.”
“There was nothing else to drink back then.”
Bermunt grimaced. Looking closely, it seemed he was trying to smile. But his face was so rugged that it looked like a scowl.
“You’ve got a real rough-looking face.”
As I clicked my tongue, his eyes widened. He looked like he was about to say something, but drank his beer instead.
Kanna poked me.
I looked up to see the finished ice sculpture.
It depicted Deokgu Beida holding Kurteun’s severed head. To top it off, Gguobbaorou was holding a small flame beneath the neck, so the melting ice dripped down from the cross-section, looking just like blood.
If I hadn’t known better, I would have praised it as a masterpiece of a sculpture, but the problem was that a little kid had carved it.
“Kuhh—!!”
I let out a silent sigh as I watched Kanna, in her bucket helmet, throw her arms up and let out a bizarre cry.
Just then, Hana came out. Unlike her usual baggy clothes, she wore a very fancy dress. The outfit looked like it wouldn’t accommodate her heart guard, and my gaze was stolen against my will.
“Aron! Um… Do your best today, just like always! Fighting!”
Hana, who seemed about to say something else, swallowed hard and then pumped her fists alternately.
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Don’t be so lukewarm about it! If Deokgu Beida wins today, it’s just 20 copper! A special Aron price!”
I looked away from her bright smile and strange hand gestures.
Hana, laughing heartily, gathered her things. A small cart was piled with bread and a beer keg.
“We’re going to watch the finals! Aron… you’ll be resting at home, right?”
Hana winked as if she were malnourished.
I nodded, and they all headed out.
Kanna, perched on Choco’s neck, looked back at me before they left and made a throat-slitting gesture with her thumb.
*Where did she even learn that…*
I shook my head and got up from my seat.
***
“Waaaaaah!!!”
“Deokgu! Deokgu! Deokgu!”
“Kuhh…!!”
I deliberately shouted in an exaggerated manner, waving my hands grandly. I was expressing with my whole body that I was an idiot.
The crowd roared even louder in response.
The preparations were now complete.
There had been a few moments where the act almost broke, but in the end, I had managed to play the part of the invincible, brainless Dark Vader to the very end.
I knew Kurteun had been watching my matches, pretending not to be interested. What would he think of me after seeing them?
*He’ll think I’m a mindless, strong brute with a lot of stamina.*
For that purpose, I had acted as the barbarian warrior Dark Vader, a role that didn’t suit me.
The barbarian warrior Dark Vader always stepped forward with his left foot before swinging his sword, and when he exerted his strength, he would let out a loud roar of “Kuhh!!”
My opponent entered the ring on the opposite side.
He had brought all his women with him.
Among them was a woman who didn't look well, but the others supported her and dragged her out.
The group of women scattered, striking suggestive poses in each section. I didn’t look away, focusing solely on him. His body twitched.
The woman who had been in the coachman’s seat approached my side. Unlike before, her body was covered in bruises.
Standing next to me, the woman faced the crowd and untied the cloth covering her chest.
“Waaaaaah—!!”
An enormous cheer erupted.
For a moment, I almost lost my focus on him.
“It’s the left foot.”
Just then, amidst the roar, the woman whispered. Her voice dripped with concentrated hatred.
With those words, she covered her chest again and turned to leave.
*…The left foot?*
I repeated her words in my mind as I watched her stagger from a slap to the cheek from him.
There was no way words filled with such old resentment could be meaningless.
If so, there were only a few possible meanings.
I recalled my first meeting with him.
The stride of his left foot had been slightly wider.
*I see.*
It seemed I wasn’t the only one acting.
“Kuhh!!! DARK!! Kuhh!! VADERRRR!!!”
I shouted exaggeratedly, throwing both hands in the air.
The atmosphere instantly superheated, and once again, chants of ‘Deokgu!’ filled the air.
The women filed out, and he slyly stuck out his right foot. He feigned carelessness by crossing his arms, but his hands were near the hilt of his sword.
It was an obvious, low-level provocation.
But this time, it was his turn.
“SIIIILEEEENCE!!!”
I raised my hand and shouted.
The man, who was looking elsewhere, raised a subtle eyebrow.
The noisy crowd quickly fell silent.
The simpler and clearer the phrase, the more effective it was.
I scanned the crowd once, and when their focus was at its peak, I opened my mouth.
“Kurteun is a eunuch!!”
I pointed at him and shouted louder than ever before.
The crowd was still quiet, not yet understanding my meaning, but he showed a clear reaction.
His face, which had been calm and smug until now, contorted as if he’d been punched. It wasn’t enough yet.
Just then, someone from the stands shouted.
“That bastard was a eunuch!! No wonder his skin was as smooth as a woman’s!! You eunuch!! Kurteun’s a eunuch! Eunuch! Eunuch!!”
It was Jokjebi. He clapped his hands, repeatedly chanting ‘Kurteun! Eunuch!’, and the clean, catchy slogan quickly spread through the crowd.
Soon, the arena was filled with chants of ‘Kurteun eunuch’.
“Kurteun is a eunuch!!!”
I drew my sword and roared.
*If he had balls, he wouldn’t be able to stand this.*
His mask shattered, and his hideous true face was revealed.
He kicked off the ground and rushed toward me.
His speed was unbelievable for someone clad in steel.
*Ah, right. He doesn’t have balls.*
I shouted ‘Kurteun eunuch’ like a battle cry and faced him.
*Clang!* He thrust his sword swiftly, but I was already watching his right knee.
The moment I saw his knee bend, I raised my sword. I barely managed to parry his blade.
His sword grazed my right pauldron, tearing it and drawing blood. It was just a slight sting.
As we closed in, surprise flickered in his eyes before turning to irritation.
“Kuhh!!!”
I pressed my sword down toward his shoulder.
He blocked it with his blunt dagger.
I put all my strength into my sword hand, but his dagger didn’t budge. The unbelievable strength of a eunuch.
*Aura is so damn broken.*
I made a simple assessment and stepped forward with my left foot, lowering my stance to put my weight into the sword. His dagger gave way, and for the first time, a look of urgency appeared on his face.
“Kuhh!!”
He retreated, thrusting his sword. My sword grazed his right shoulder, and his sword pierced my chest.
An exchange in an instant.
His pauldron shattered, and a small hole was punched through my cuirass.
Like a wolf with its jaws clamped on its prey’s neck, I relentlessly pursued the retreating man. I took the damage to maintain my mindless persona.
“Kuhh!!”
Once again, we thrust our swords at each other.
His sword was faster, but I was sturdier.
I didn’t dodge his blade.
A look of bewilderment crossed his face.
Another hole was added to each of our armors.
Red blood trickled out, like wine from a punctured barrel.
He swung his sword wide, intending to create distance. A slash wasn’t as threatening as a thrust, so I pushed my right shoulder into the path of his blade and advanced.
*Thud!*
His sword was blocked by my pauldron, and the distance between us closed in an instant.
“You crazy… mindless brute!”
My vantage point was higher than his, so I could see his eyes, his shoulders, and his knees all at once. His right knee bent again, and his shoulder trembled. A thrust was coming.
*Not yet.*
“Kuhh!!!”
To maintain my act of mindlessness, I didn't dodge it and instead threw a punch. A hole was punched in my stomach, and my fist connected squarely with his face, making him stagger.
His focus wavered.
I immediately threw another punch.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
After taking two more hits, he hastily created distance.
The crowd cheered, but I couldn’t hear or see them.
My vision was filled only with the man whose mask had been stripped away, revealing his hideous true face.
It was a short exchange, but I could tell.
*At this rate, I’ll win.*
As long as he didn’t draw out his Aura, the outcome was set.
I would bleed and sweat in the process, but I had plenty of both.
His crumpled face told me he felt it too.
His ragged breaths were like exhilarating music that uplifted me, and the red blood flowing from his shoulder was like sweet fruit that tempted me.
Maintaining my soaring sense of elation, I opened my mouth.
“Kuhh! I! Dark! Have a question!”
As I shouted, he glared at me with eyes full of hostility.
*It seems I’ll have to kill him.*
Those eyes would be a nuisance if I let him live. Not that killing him wouldn’t be a nuisance either. I’d have to try for a clean finish.
“Do! Eunuchs! Pee! Sitting! Down!!”
I faintly heard the crowd laughing.
His face instantly twisted into that of a demon.
“You truly court your own death.”
His stance changed completely.
Unlike before, he lowered his upper body and extended both arms straight out.
A stance that looked as if he would use both swords for offense.
It was obvious his blunt dagger would be blocked by my armor, so there had to be a reason for such a stance.
“Kuhh! Kurteun who pees sitting down!!”
I shouted in an exaggerated manner, feigning extreme excitement while inwardly calculating the possibilities.
What were the chances that he, having lost his reason, would draw out his Aura in the tournament?
“Kurteun!! Is a!! Eunuch!! Kurteun who! Pees! Sitting! Down!!”
A face twisted like a demon’s.
A clear killing intent in his eyes.
His left foot slowly inching forward.
*One hundred percent.*
A thrill shot up from my fingertips.
His changed aura made the hairs on my neck stand on end, as if a blade were already at my throat.
*I’ll get to see if it works on Aura users, too.*
His mask was off, but mine was still on.
And in a fleeting moment, that would prove fatal.
The corners of my mouth lifted into a deep smile, but it was hidden from him by my helmet.
“Kuhh!! Dark!!”
Still stepping forward with my left foot, I ran at him.
***
“Casedic Castle.”
The Knight Hunter nodded at the familiar castle walls.
“Of course it is. Getting lost on the way from Karzan to Casedic is impossible unless you’re a senile old man. Still, it’s a relief you haven’t gone so senile you can’t tell your shit from your piss.”
*Hoo…*
The Knight Hunter took a deep breath, calming his mind.
Many years had passed since the covenant, but this was the first time he had been so shaken.
“Hm? But the line is a bit long.”
Gern… Gern! Not a knight! At Gern’s mumble, the Knight Hunter turned his head.
Surrounding Casedic’s walls, figures draped in black cloth and other hideous beings stood in a circle. They were familiar.
*…The Society.*
The Knight Hunter scratched his head.
What kind of mind would think that was a line to get in? It was stupidity beyond measure.
Just then, a cheer erupted from within Casedic Castle.
It seemed the thing called a tournament was still in progress.
The delicious scent of knights wafted through the air.
To think that knights were gathered in one place.
The Knight Hunter bared his teeth and took a step forward.
As he began to mutter the covenant, Gern suddenly blocked his path.
“You have to get in line. You foolish old man.”
Gern said firmly, pointing at the corpses that were only nodding their heads.
“Hey, Gern… could you just say ‘knight’ one time? Please.”
For the first time in a very long while, the Knight Hunter asked with genuine sincerity.
“No, I am Gern. Get in line.”
However, the answer that came back was still the same.
Just then, something among the gathered beings slowly began to rise.
A desolate and terrible presence. It fed on its surroundings, gradually swelling in size. Soon, it grew to rival the castle walls and let out a soundless scream.
*A great darkness. Not a knight.*
The Knight Hunter clicked his tongue in disappointment.
“No, I am Gern.”
Seeing the man answer a question that hadn’t been asked, the Knight Hunter took a deep breath.