Chapter 322: Role (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 322: Role (2)
"Laura, we need to go back!"
"Weren't you paying attention? That woman uses an aura. And that man named Lüchenprague is an even bigger monster."
"But—!"
"We won't be able to do anything even if we go back. This is the smartest choice."
Amelia gritted her teeth as she ran, Laura dragging her by the arm. For some reason, she felt like crying. "Smartest choice? Are you crazy? How is you dying and me living a smart choice!?"
When Amelia shook off her sister's arm, Laura stopped running. Laura sighed. "Amelia, listen to your sister for once. We don't have time to—"
"What's with that? Stop talking like these are your last words!"
"...That's not it."
"Then what is it? Why are you just running away instead of at least trying?"
"Because this gives us a higher chance of survival!" Laura shouted angrily at her disobedient younger sister before plowing on. "Amelia, that woman didn't kill Felic. She used a needle to paralyze him. She carried him like she was on some kind of mission. That means she's not planning on killing him right away. And I'm still alive and well too."
"Ah..." Amelia involuntarily let out a surprised sound. Even in the middle of all that danger and chaos, her sister had managed to consider all these factors before making a decision.
"I may feel uneasy about it, but this is still the best option. Rather than getting killed for attacking that woman, this gives us better odds. Now, if you understand, follow me." Laura got moving again like she considered even this conversation a waste of time, and Amelia hurriedly followed suit.
After who knew how long of that, the Rainwales sisters encountered familiar faces.
"Huh? Laura, Amelia? You guys were alive?"
"...Mr. Durbon."
It seemed something had happened along the way or they got separated, because only about half of the clan members who ran away were there.
"Hey, I'm glad you're here. You guys are lucky. We were just about to get out of this city."
"Pardon...? Get out?"
"Can't you see? Lüchenprague has come out of the eastern district. What do you think that means? The fight's already over and he's on his way to get to the castellan. This city is finished."
When Durbon finished his explanation, the two men next to him threw in their own two cents, looking haunted. "That man isn't human. Did you see how his expression didn't change once as he slaughtered dozens of people? I still get goosebumps remembering it."
"I heard if Traitor sticks out his tongue, that means he's really angry."
"If this city falls into his hands, it will be our heads and the heads of everyone on the castellan's side that get cut off."
Although this suggestion was coming out of the blue, Laura calmly collected the information she needed to make a decision. "But how do you plan to escape? The front gate—"
"Yes, the Gatekeeper is guarding it. But it looks like there is a hidden side road. Apparently, it's the road the Melta Merchant Company uses to travel aboveground, and one of our guys knows about it."
"...I see."
"Do you want to come with us?"
Laura accepted the offer without asking any further questions. "We will go."
"L-Laura?"
Their original plan was to head to the relatively safe western district and hide out until the danger had passed, but this changed things. If she died, her younger sister would be left alone in this world. At the very least, Laura wanted Amelia to be able to live like a human being. This might be her last chance to ensure that.
"Ah, I'm just telling you this in case, but in exchange for taking you with us—"
"I know. If anything dangerous happens, I will step in."
"Ahem, right... I'm glad we're on the same page." The man nodded in embarrassment, then started leading the group away.
***
With his shiny silver hair, pale skin, knightly armor with the symbol of the palace on it, and longsword that was one and a half times larger than normal, I recognized this man on sight despite never meeting him before.
Jerome Saintred.
He was the head of the First Royal Guard and the strongest knight of royal blood in the kingdom, known to the common people as the Knight of Light. The most pressing question at present was why the hell this bastard was currently here. This guy never came up once in the stories Amelia told me.
"Give me the Fragment of Records Stone."
With that one sentence, I was able to get a rough idea of why the Knight of Light, who should have been sweeping the eastern district right now, was here. It became very clear to me at that moment that the palace's goal was not to exterminate Orcules.
Defeating him... won't be easy.
He was on a whole other level from Rick Omanus, the knight I faced on the stairs earlier. He would have undoubtedly reached level five, the maximum level you could get to with the secret medicine knights took. Given that he was a captain, he would also have completed the level seven Awakening, not to mention the level six Breakthrough event. And that wasn't all.
Considering the palace's wealth, it'd be safe to say all seven of his essences are at least rank three.
In terms of number of essences and average rank, I was outclassed. That wasn't even mentioning the difference in our stats as a result of said essences, plus I was also at a disadvantage as a tank going up against a knight. However, if I had to choose one thing I might be a match for him in, it would be equipment.
Whoooom!
Starting at double digits, Numbered Items were lowkey indestructible.
Kwaang!
I parried his sword wordlessly with my hammer.
Whew, I've never been in a fight like this before. I've always blocked with a shield first and then attacked with a weapon.
Seeing me block the blow, my opponent frowned. As a knight who could cut down anything, I guessed he never expected his sword to actually get stopped by something.
"Wait." I used the brief opening after that strike to make an attempt at conversation. I didn't think it would work, but there was no harm in trying, right? "There's a misunderstanding here. The Fragment of Records Stone? I don't know anything about whatever that is."
"You lie. I've gotten testimony that you came from underground and headed here."
Hmm, I see...
The you-have-the-wrong-person strategy didn't work, but I ended up getting some unexpectedly useful information out of it.
"But... you may have taken it without knowing what it was. Give me the necklace the castellan was wearing."
"L-Laura?"
Their original plan was to head to the relatively safe western district and hide out until the danger had passed, but this changed things. If she died, her younger sister would be left alone in this world. At the very least, Laura wanted Amelia to be able to live like a human being. This might be her last chance to ensure that.
"Ah, I'm just telling you this in case, but in exchange for taking you with us—"
"I know. If anything dangerous happens, I will step in."
"Ahem, right... I'm glad we're on the same page." The man nodded in embarrassment, then started leading the group away.
***
With his shiny silver hair, pale skin, knightly armor with the symbol of the palace on it, and longsword that was one and a half times larger than normal, I recognized this man on sight despite never meeting him before.
Jerome Saintred.
He was the head of the First Royal Guard and the strongest knight of royal blood in the kingdom, known to the common people as the Knight of Light. The most pressing question at present was why the hell this bastard was currently here. This guy never came up once in the stories Amelia told me.
"Give me the Fragment of Records Stone."
With that one sentence, I was able to get a rough idea of why the Knight of Light, who should have been sweeping the eastern district right now, was here. It became very clear to me at that moment that the palace's goal was not to exterminate Orcules.
Defeating him... won't be easy.
He was on a whole other level from Rick Omanus, the knight I faced on the stairs earlier. He would have undoubtedly reached level five, the maximum level you could get to with the secret medicine knights took. Given that he was a captain, he would also have completed the level seven Awakening, not to mention the level six Breakthrough event. And that wasn't all.
Considering the palace's wealth, it'd be safe to say all seven of his essences are at least rank three.
In terms of number of essences and average rank, I was outclassed. That wasn't even mentioning the difference in our stats as a result of said essences, plus I was also at a disadvantage as a tank going up against a knight. However, if I had to choose one thing I might be a match for him in, it would be equipment.
Whoooom!
Starting at double digits, Numbered Items were lowkey indestructible.
Kwaang!
I parried his sword wordlessly with my hammer.
Whew, I've never been in a fight like this before. I've always blocked with a shield first and then attacked with a weapon.
Seeing me block the blow, my opponent frowned. As a knight who could cut down anything, I guessed he never expected his sword to actually get stopped by something.
"Wait." I used the brief opening after that strike to make an attempt at conversation. I didn't think it would work, but there was no harm in trying, right? "There's a misunderstanding here. The Fragment of Records Stone? I don't know anything about whatever that is."
"You lie. I've gotten testimony that you came from underground and headed here."
Hmm, I see...
The you-have-the-wrong-person strategy didn't work, but I ended up getting some unexpectedly useful information out of it.
"But... you may have taken it without knowing what it was. Give me the necklace the castellan was wearing."
That wording gave me a foothold to latch onto. "If you're talking about what the castellan was wearing, do you mean this necklace?" I asked, pointing to the necklace I was wearing.
The knight nodded. "Yes. If you hand it over, I promise there won't be any unnecessary bloodshed."
This was a big win. I had shoved the Fragment of Records Stone into my sub-space ring ages ago.
Which means this guy doesn't know what the Fragment of Records Stone is.
The necklace I was wearing was just an ordinary necklace with a large, refined stone embedded in it. All it did was reduce the casting time of any wizard who wore it. It was something I secretly swiped during a past looting session and now wore around my neck as an accessory.
Interesting that I get to use it like this.
Humans were a social species. It was a good thing I attempted a conversation.
Rip.
I yanked off the necklace. "Well, if you want it, I can give it to you. I only took it as a souvenir anyway."
"Souvenir?"
"It was the castellan, after all. He ordered us to go out and fight, yet he went to hide in the basement. I followed him, but there was nothing to take other than this necklace."
"Hmm, so you were just after money," the knight muttered, apparently buying that explanation. On his way to the castellan, he must have happened upon Omanus, who was stripped of all his equipment.
"Isn't that how guys like me operate? Of course, seeing as someone like you wants it, this necklace must be pretty valuable... But I can't see how it's worth risking my life for."
Talkative bastards usually had ulterior motives, but this young knight, who had probably spent his whole life doing nothing but swing a sword, did not think me suspicious. He just looked at me with disdain. "Enough excuses. Give it up."
"Ah, but I need a guarantee before that."
"Guarantee?"
"A guarantee that you will let me go if I give you this."
"I do not break my promises."
What, because you're an honorable knight?
If he really didn't know how to lie, he wouldn't have been here in the first place. Even as he was bleeding out, the castellan hadn't realized he'd been tricked by the palace.
Leap.
I broke the window on the wall and Leaped up high. Since I jumped out from the fourth floor, I had a bird's-eye view of the city from the castle at its center. The eastern district where the battle had broken out was burning brightly, while the west was relatively calm.
Flash!
I didn't have the luxury to take it all in though, because a moment later there was a flash of light behind me right before the knight appeared. The skill he used was instantly recognizable: Gateway of Light. It was from a rank-three essence, and sat at the top of the tier list of transportation skills you could get in Dungeon and Stone. This wasn't a half-assed teleportation skill that sent you to a random location, but an overpowered ability that allowed you to specify a destination.
Man, it's been a while...
I'd used that skill a lot before starting my barbarian build.
"Did you think you could run?" As soon as I turned around in mid-air, the bastard swung his sword and I once again blocked it with the hammer.
That wording gave me a foothold to latch onto. "If you're talking about what the castellan was wearing, do you mean this necklace?" I asked, pointing to the necklace I was wearing.
The knight nodded. "Yes. If you hand it over, I promise there won't be any unnecessary bloodshed."
This was a big win. I had shoved the Fragment of Records Stone into my sub-space ring ages ago.
Which means this guy doesn't know what the Fragment of Records Stone is.
The necklace I was wearing was just an ordinary necklace with a large, refined stone embedded in it. All it did was reduce the casting time of any wizard who wore it. It was something I secretly swiped during a past looting session and now wore around my neck as an accessory.
Interesting that I get to use it like this.
Humans were a social species. It was a good thing I attempted a conversation.
Rip.
I yanked off the necklace. "Well, if you want it, I can give it to you. I only took it as a souvenir anyway."
"Souvenir?"
"It was the castellan, after all. He ordered us to go out and fight, yet he went to hide in the basement. I followed him, but there was nothing to take other than this necklace."
"Hmm, so you were just after money," the knight muttered, apparently buying that explanation. On his way to the castellan, he must have happened upon Omanus, who was stripped of all his equipment.
"Isn't that how guys like me operate? Of course, seeing as someone like you wants it, this necklace must be pretty valuable... But I can't see how it's worth risking my life for."
Talkative bastards usually had ulterior motives, but this young knight, who had probably spent his whole life doing nothing but swing a sword, did not think me suspicious. He just looked at me with disdain. "Enough excuses. Give it up."
"Ah, but I need a guarantee before that."
"Guarantee?"
"A guarantee that you will let me go if I give you this."
"I do not break my promises."
What, because you're an honorable knight?
If he really didn't know how to lie, he wouldn't have been here in the first place. Even as he was bleeding out, the castellan hadn't realized he'd been tricked by the palace.
Leap.
I broke the window on the wall and Leaped up high. Since I jumped out from the fourth floor, I had a bird's-eye view of the city from the castle at its center. The eastern district where the battle had broken out was burning brightly, while the west was relatively calm.
Flash!
I didn't have the luxury to take it all in though, because a moment later there was a flash of light behind me right before the knight appeared. The skill he used was instantly recognizable: Gateway of Light. It was from a rank-three essence, and sat at the top of the tier list of transportation skills you could get in Dungeon and Stone. This wasn't a half-assed teleportation skill that sent you to a random location, but an overpowered ability that allowed you to specify a destination.
Man, it's been a while...
I'd used that skill a lot before starting my barbarian build.
"Did you think you could run?" As soon as I turned around in mid-air, the bastard swung his sword and I once again blocked it with the hammer.
Jeez, so impatient. It's not like I said I wouldn't keep my promise. Anyway, this is my first mid-air fight.
Using the recoil from blocking the sword to my advantage, I allowed myself to get pushed back up into the air once more. With that, the distance between us widened.
Flash!
The moment the knight used Gateway of Light to close the distance again, I threw the necklace in my hand as hard as I could. He quickly stretched out his arm, but he didn't have enough reach to catch it. For a brief moment, I could see the debate currently happening behind his eyes. He was trying to decide whether to kill me here or not. That confirmed one thing, at least.
Not break your promise? Yeah, right.
This guy had been planning from the start to kill me as soon as I gave him the necklace, probably to get rid of any witnesses. Well, it didn't look like he was going to follow through on that plan now, though.
Smack!
I kicked the knight in the stomach while he was distracted by the necklace. He didn't even flinch, but that didn't bother me. That wasn't the reason I kicked him to begin with.
Voom!
In accordance with the laws of physics, the distance between us widened again. Even as he was falling, the guy looked at me and asked, "What is your name?" His voice spoke to a pure curiosity about his opponent.
All I could think in response was, Why would I tell you that?
"Are you a moron?"
"...What?"
Oops, I said it.
I caught my slip-up immediately, but luckily the knight didn't use Gateway of Light to come at me again. There was a maximum number of times it could be used in one go. After the third use, you would have to wait out the cooldown.
Flash!
Soon, light wrapped around his body and he disappeared from sight. Without needing to look too far, I could see him reappear in the same direction I threw the necklace.
Okay, got rid of that guy...
I activated Transcendent Leap after that, and what felt like an invisible platform formed under my toes. When I kicked off of it with all my might, my body shot forward like an arrow. My destination rapidly approached.
This makes me feel like Superman.
I chuckled and replayed the brief mid-air fight that just occurred. The more I thought about it, though, the more antsy I felt.
I should get stronger soon.
I approached the center of a cemetery on the outskirts of Noark Castle and proceeded to land in style.
Kwaaang!
"Whaaa!"
In other words, that meant I smashed all the tombstones in the surrounding area and went tumbling through the dirt for several hundred yards.
"...Jeez, I almost died there."
I had gone directly from the castle located in the middle of the city to the outskirts, and the price I paid for cutting down on travel time was unmistakable. Was it because I accelerated and got propelled from up high? Beyond the numbness, I could feel a prickle of electricity running through my legs. Considering my Pain Resistance, that meant they must literally be destroyed.
...Still, I don't need to use a potion.
The downside of an ogre essence was that it came with a -40 to Natural Regeneration. Thanks to that, my wounds barely healed if I didn't take a potion. But the essence of the Storm Gush, combined with the Natural Regeneration stats I received from the Immortality Imprint, easily compensated for this drawback. Now, minor injuries healed naturally with a mere lick of the wound.
Slide.
After a short break, I stood up. I was able to locate the place I was looking for from a quick glance around because I had visited it before. It was a passage hidden beneath a giant tombstone, tall and wide enough for a single carriage to pass through. The first thing that caught my eye was a corpse.
It's the cemetery's guard.
The man who had been here serving as the security guard for the secret passage was now dead, his body covered in stab wounds.
Since I slept for a whole six hours, Laura's group would have passed through here a long time ago... By now, Amelia would have joined them.
It seemed the only way I'd be able to reach them before it was too late was if I got a move on, so I quickly entered the passage. Or, rather, I was about to enter.
...Huh?
I stopped walking.
Step, step.
I could see an old man in fine clothes walking toward me from the other direction.
Thump.
The moment I made eye contact with the old man, my heart started pounding. It felt like I was dreaming.
Upon meeting my eye, the old man said hello. "Haha, nice to see you."
It was Auril Gavis.
Jeez, so impatient. It's not like I said I wouldn't keep my promise. Anyway, this is my first mid-air fight.
Using the recoil from blocking the sword to my advantage, I allowed myself to get pushed back up into the air once more. With that, the distance between us widened.
Flash!
The moment the knight used Gateway of Light to close the distance again, I threw the necklace in my hand as hard as I could. He quickly stretched out his arm, but he didn't have enough reach to catch it. For a brief moment, I could see the debate currently happening behind his eyes. He was trying to decide whether to kill me here or not. That confirmed one thing, at least.
Not break your promise? Yeah, right.
This guy had been planning from the start to kill me as soon as I gave him the necklace, probably to get rid of any witnesses. Well, it didn't look like he was going to follow through on that plan now, though.
Smack!
I kicked the knight in the stomach while he was distracted by the necklace. He didn't even flinch, but that didn't bother me. That wasn't the reason I kicked him to begin with.
Voom!
In accordance with the laws of physics, the distance between us widened again. Even as he was falling, the guy looked at me and asked, "What is your name?" His voice spoke to a pure curiosity about his opponent.
All I could think in response was, Why would I tell you that?
"Are you a moron?"
"...What?"
Oops, I said it.
I caught my slip-up immediately, but luckily the knight didn't use Gateway of Light to come at me again. There was a maximum number of times it could be used in one go. After the third use, you would have to wait out the cooldown.
Flash!
Soon, light wrapped around his body and he disappeared from sight. Without needing to look too far, I could see him reappear in the same direction I threw the necklace.
Okay, got rid of that guy...
I activated Transcendent Leap after that, and what felt like an invisible platform formed under my toes. When I kicked off of it with all my might, my body shot forward like an arrow. My destination rapidly approached.
This makes me feel like Superman.
I chuckled and replayed the brief mid-air fight that just occurred. The more I thought about it, though, the more antsy I felt.
I should get stronger soon.
I approached the center of a cemetery on the outskirts of Noark Castle and proceeded to land in style.
Kwaaang!
"Whaaa!"
In other words, that meant I smashed all the tombstones in the surrounding area and went tumbling through the dirt for several hundred yards.
"...Jeez, I almost died there."
I had gone directly from the castle located in the middle of the city to the outskirts, and the price I paid for cutting down on travel time was unmistakable. Was it because I accelerated and got propelled from up high? Beyond the numbness, I could feel a prickle of electricity running through my legs. Considering my Pain Resistance, that meant they must literally be destroyed.
...Still, I don't need to use a potion.
The downside of an ogre essence was that it came with a -40 to Natural Regeneration. Thanks to that, my wounds barely healed if I didn't take a potion. But the essence of the Storm Gush, combined with the Natural Regeneration stats I received from the Immortality Imprint, easily compensated for this drawback. Now, minor injuries healed naturally with a mere lick of the wound.
Slide.
After a short break, I stood up. I was able to locate the place I was looking for from a quick glance around because I had visited it before. It was a passage hidden beneath a giant tombstone, tall and wide enough for a single carriage to pass through. The first thing that caught my eye was a corpse.
It's the cemetery's guard.
The man who had been here serving as the security guard for the secret passage was now dead, his body covered in stab wounds.
Since I slept for a whole six hours, Laura's group would have passed through here a long time ago... By now, Amelia would have joined them.
It seemed the only way I'd be able to reach them before it was too late was if I got a move on, so I quickly entered the passage. Or, rather, I was about to enter.
...Huh?
I stopped walking.
Step, step.
I could see an old man in fine clothes walking toward me from the other direction.
Thump.
The moment I made eye contact with the old man, my heart started pounding. It felt like I was dreaming.
Upon meeting my eye, the old man said hello. "Haha, nice to see you."
It was Auril Gavis.