Chapter 50
Chapter 50
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Devil, Witch, and Demon Sword (10)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
'But why, I wonder.'
Ban’s eyes sharpened. Even setting aside the decisiveness and wisdom in setting fire to the forest to break the barrier, he couldn’t grasp why they were going to such lengths to turn their blades on the witch.
If he had to pick a reason, it would be to kill the witch—the prime suspect in the serial killings—and end the tragedy...
'Did they not know about the Demon Sword?'
That would make it somewhat understandable, but the problem was the familiar faces scattered among them. These people were in no position to be chasing after the serial killer right now. Ban had already detected their presence, and as soon as tomorrow, the kingdom’s forces might come ransacking the area in search of the sparks of rebellion.
Yet in such a situation, they were setting fires to hunt the witch...?
“Who are you?”
“Even if I told you my name, it wouldn’t mean much to you...”
Ban swung Kishin. With brute force augmented by raw qi, the surrounding trees fell as if they were mere twigs, sliced clean in an instant. They groaned and retreated.
“K-Knight...!”
“You sold your soul to a witch! Shameless!”
“You’d better think before you speak. I’m from Citadel Academy.”
Ban’s voice rumbled low. Realizing the implication belatedly, the people paled and fell back. They had no idea why a Citadel Academy student was here of all places, but something was clearly wrong.
And that was when it happened.
“...I heard knights had arrived, but I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
A bespectacled man stepped forward from the crowd. He had a frail appearance. Unlike the sturdy, thick-armed Tolzberry miners gripping pickaxes, his arms were slender, and his neck was pale as fresh snow. He smiled faintly at Ban.
“I’m Lanches. I’m in charge of the Tolzberry Mine.”
“You?”
“It’s a bit disconcerting. I came here myself after hearing about the witch, even lighting fires... I didn’t expect to find esteemed Academy members here. Is there something I don’t know?”
“Sorry, but I can’t tell you what you don’t know. And I can’t hand over the witch either. There’s no witch here.”
Though there is a princess.
Ban’s gaze slowly swept over the crowd. Why were there so many devil worshippers among those who had come with the mine owner to capture the witch?
Ban slowly raised his blade. Even as the ominous sword quivered toward him, the mine owner didn’t blink, staring straight at Ban. Ban bared his teeth in a grin.
“To me, it looks like you’ve got some pretty wicked intentions.”
“What intentions do you mean?”
“All the incidents in the village pinned on the witch, and no ‘Seeds of the Night’ ever at the mine. Isn’t that the story you want to spin?”
It was just a hypothesis.
After Ban’s appearance—and the rebellion being exposed—those shaken would seek out the mine owner. He would have learned about the revolution and that the Seeds of the Night had emerged through the mine. So what judgment would he make?
Would he naively report everything to the kingdom? That would be announcing the mine could serve as an entry for the Seeds of the Night—cutting off his own lifeline. Did this man truly possess such loyalty that he’d confess everything at the cost of his own sustenance?
Lanches smiled. It was a hazy smile.
“That’s quite the overreach.”
“Who knows. For something so baseless... my sword is ringing pretty loudly.”
Ban bit his lip as he spoke. The ominous aura from Kishin was far denser than usual. It wasn’t just because several with contracts to the Seeds of the Night remained. It wasn’t mere contract-level malice; true demonic energy emanated from all directions.
‘Demon Ghosts.’
Pale-faced figures began to reveal themselves one by one. Yucheong might even be among them.
“You’ve joined hands with the rebels. You.”
“........”
Lanches’s silence laid the situation bare. Upon realizing devil worship was occurring in his own mine, he’d had few options left. Shut it down and report obediently, or... cover it up.
And covering it up here meant dealing with the Academy students as well.
‘Jeo.’
Suddenly, Ban grew worried about Jeo. They might not know he was with their group, but if they tried to silence him too...
‘No, with that level of injury, Jeo should be well on the mend by now.’
These mine drifters couldn’t do anything to him. If it had been that serious, he wouldn’t have left him alone in the first place.
Anya and Yeoryeong stood beside Ban. Having received the situation from him, they could guess how this was unfolding.
“...This is how it turns out?”
Yeoryeong shook her head in disbelief. Ban muttered.
“You’ve seen it plenty. Protecting or betraying the kingdom doesn’t need grand reasons. Even petty gains and losses can sway hearts easily.”
“...Yeah. It looks that way.”
The burning forest. Amid ordinary folk, those wrapped in eerie auras began to emerge one by one. Some openly cloaked in demonic energy, others looking like rebels. Ban asked Lanches.
“I thought you and the miners weren’t on good terms.”
“...We still aren’t. But on at least one matter, our interests align. We can’t lose this mine. We were born in this mine, raised in it, and destined to return to it. For our ancestors and descendants...”
“If you could unite so easily, why not do it sooner?”
Why do people only band together once a common enemy appears? Ban sighed. Their very antagonism had united them. What an ironic contradiction.
“Yucheong sunbae, you there?”
“Heh, long time no see, friend.”
“Hope it’s a decent body this time. Otherwise, I’ll shatter you soul and all.”
“Eek, scary.”
While Ban bantered with Yucheong, Shade had sidled up beside him unnoticed. He grumbled reluctantly.
“What a mess this is.”
“It just turned out this way. You’ll help, right?”
“...You outright said you’re helping the princess escape. That’s the complete opposite of our mission.”
“Hey, still haven’t figured it out? This mission wasn’t meant to capture her from the start. How are we supposed to catch a princess with Word Command? If it were a fight we could win, maybe, but you wouldn’t raise a blade against royalty either, right?”
“...What makes you think I wouldn’t.”
“Cut the crap. I had a similar mission. All the Royal Knight Order expects from your group is to convey ‘We’re still pursuing you’ to the princess. So no need to worry about it hurting your chances of joining later.”
Shade let out a hollow laugh as Ban rattled on. Ban seemed like an idiot who knew nothing but the sword most times, yet in moments like this, he was colder and sharper than anyone.
‘...Someday, you...’
Shade gazed at Ban with a complicated expression, then gripped his broadsword. This wasn’t the time for stray thoughts. He had only one assigned ‘mission’ after all.
“I’m joining the Royal Knight Order.”
“Go for it.”
“...This isn’t where I die.”
Shade gnashed his teeth and assumed the Scorpion Sword stance. There were many foes. Plenty of ordinary folk, but a good number of what looked like ‘rebel’ soldiers dispatched as well. Probably a deal with the mine owner.
He didn’t intend to kill.
But sending them all back unscathed was impossible.
‘Forgive me.’
And just as Shade lunged forward—
—Fire, wither.
—Forest, bloom anew like flowers.
—Earth, hold my enemies in your embrace.
Word Command rang out. A voice mad and holy, like hearing a god. But more chilling was that everything Drnoa uttered became reality.
The flames extinguished. The charred forest regenerated in moments, sprouting new buds, and the earth playfully snatched Lanches and the culprits’ feet, burying them halfway.
The Demon Ghosts and rebel elites moved before the ground writhed, but neutralizing the ordinary residents held meaning. Even a blind blade draws blood. Drnoa panted wearily. Unleashing such wide-ranging Word Commands in succession strained even her.
—Kneel.
She unleashed another, but its effect was weaker. Her command didn’t reach the Demon Ghosts shrouded in demonic energy, and the rebels, guessing her identity, resisted well. With royal dignity worthless to them, her Word Command lost power.
But it was enough.
“You bastards! Remember Macdead of the Black Mountains! In the afterlife, dying by my hand will be honor, not shame!”
“...That idiot.”
Shade cursed Macdead even as he pursued him. Some revolutionaries’ eyes gleamed at his Scorpion Sword, but only briefly—they soon clashed blades head-on.
A bitter fight. Who could call Tolzberry folk, bedding with the enemy to save their livelihood, evil? And who would point fingers at Ban’s group, merely defending the kingdom?
Before taking missions as a fourth-year, Ban harbored many inner conflicts. Was the kingdom right? The revolutionaries? But mission after mission, one thought took root.
There are no purely righteous people in this world.
But if so, why did he swing his sword?
“Haha, Ban! You’re the best! The best opponent! Never had this much fun even in life...!”
Ban found his answer in Yucheong’s face. Though wearing yet another new face, one thing remained the same.
Joy.
His motive might be some noble ideal. But motive was just motive. Each time he parried Yucheong’s fist, each time a smile spread across that new face, Ban couldn’t help but feel it.
In the end, they just loved to fight.
Philosophy, ideals, beliefs... none were the true root. Look at now. Dodging Yucheong’s fist, facing those desperately defending their turf—why didn’t it feel unfortunate?
“Ban. I told you. If I had a proper body... you couldn’t beat me.”
“Is that so? Seems like a proper one this time.”
“The body of a man who fought this world for ages under revolution’s banner. Sturdy as can be. See the calluses on this fist? Perfect for channeling my power.”
“Then I’ll have no complaints losing today. Sunbae.”
“Even if I wanted to lose, I couldn’t.”
“Forgot what I said?”
Ban pointed to the swords at his waist. He’d only shown Yucheong the fifth sword. And considering that fifth was best for surprise attacks...
Add Kishin to that.
‘Maybe... it’s time to give it a real challenge.’
Ban toyed with Kishin, thinking.
The sixth sword.
Wasn’t today the perfect stage for its debut?