Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 79
>Chapter Title: It's Because You Couldn't Even Eat Porridge
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In the end, I pulled a large robe out of my subspace and held it out to the Death Knight.
‘Karahen’s hoarding habit comes in handy sometimes.’
Among the random trophies I’d collected, there was even a robe that fit the Death Knight’s build.
Good thing I hadn’t thrown it away.
Anyway.
“Let’s introduce ourselves properly. Which family are you from? A Master Knight must’ve been from some powerhouse family, right?”
[Your thinking is awfully narrow. If it had been a powerhouse family, would my grave have been dug up, turning me into an undead?]
“Could’ve fallen.”
[It did fall. Back when I was alive, that is. It was the year 137 of the Imperial Calendar, a day with heavy rain…….]
“Ah, enough.”
I cut him off before it turned into history class.
But for some reason.
The Death Knight’s single glowing light seemed to blaze fiercely.
Like…… yeah.
The look in a parent’s eyes right before smacking a cheeky kid.
“Ahem. Imperial Calendar year 137?”
[That’s right.]
“You lived pretty far back.”
[What year is it now?]
“Imperial Calendar 374.”
[……Hah.]
Was it the passage of time?
The Death Knight let out a low breath.
Well, he couldn’t actually breathe, so it was just the sound.
Watching a dead guy act like the living was enough to drive anyone mad.
[What about Lortel, then?]
“Still around.”
Lortel was a famed swordsmanship house.
If Decullan dominated magic, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say Lortel ruled the sword.
Of course, they were weaker than the dirty, underhanded Decullans.
Anyway.
[So…… has Shamid become the patriarch? I mean, what’s the name of the 13th patriarch?]
“Go ask at the Lortel estate.”
[What about the Doranpega?]
“Fine…… no, hey, tin can.”
[……Tin can?]
That fierce flame felt oddly warm, so I softened my tone.
“Tin can sir?”
[……Tin can?]
“Pfft, fuck.”
This Death Knight was even worse than my senior.
At least the senior was a mage and backed down when cornered logically.
‘No wonder they’re dumb sword swingers; I wanna gouge those eyes…….’
I wanted to make his eyes nicer, but being magnanimous, I held back my impulse.
“Well, may I ask your name? What might it be?”
[Now that’s how you ask. But do all you young punks have attitudes like yours?]
“I’m average. There are worse ones.”
[……Hm. As expected, manners decline over time. I was curious, but now I know.]
The Death Knight nodded as if he’d uncovered some profound truth.
I stared at him coldly until our eyes met.
[Hm, your eyes look kind.]
“I like kind eyes.”
[Dun?]
“……Yo. Anyway.”
I couldn’t take it anymore and shot to my feet.
[St? Stand? Your tone just now…….]
“Tone my ass, who the hell are you?”
I’m a man who doesn’t bow to authority.
Even to some ancient ancestor-level Master Knight, my spirit doesn’t break.
Just……
[Hah. So many good sticks around here.]
“I need to hear your name to serve you properly, sir. Forgive me; it comes from a place of loyalty.”
I only bow to violence.
[Such a dutiful mindset?]
“Yes, so imagine my frustration. I’m dying to know your name.”
Fuck.
Would a senior who ditched his principal badge and escaped the academy prison act like this?
What a pain in the ass.
A total pain……
[Fine, I’ll tell you. Not sure if my name’s even remembered after all this time…….]
The Death Knight’s flame flickered contentedly.
But.
[My name is…….]
That name was quite the shock.
No, more than quite—extremely, incredibly, hard to believe even after hearing it.
[What do you think? Know it?]
Know it? All too well.
……Hundreds of years ago.
The Empire had a monstrous criminal.
Crime: treason. A challenge to the throne that had stood firm for ages.
Only one participant.
Shine von Leman.
To be precise, it wasn’t treason; calling it the Emperor Assassination Incident was more fitting.
It shouldn’t even be remembered centuries later.
Yet.
Shine von Leman stormed the imperial palace alone and succeeded in holding his sword to the emperor’s neck.
And declared.
- I am the emperor now.
A mad statement.
- Thud. Roll.
The head of the most noble man in the eastern continent tumbling across the floor.
Of course, Shine von Leman never became emperor.
He himself sat on the throne but succumbed to his wounds and died alone.
So……
“You’re that lunatic?”
[Wha?]
“……Goddamn.”
So, this is it.
“Well, at least let me ask your honored name. What was your honored name again?” etc. – wait, skipping duplicate for smoothness.
‘A lunatic unprecedented in history is standing right in front of me?’
Today was really……
No, never mind.
It wasn’t even noon yet.
* * *
Anyway.
“……You’re really Shine von Leman, that lunatic?”
[Lunatic? Hm, could be seen that way. But my name’s still passed down, huh.]
“Passed down? You bet.”
At my confirmation, Shine…… tilted his massive frame forward with keen interest.
[Yes, how? I’m curious.]
“How…….”
As I said, Shine von Leman was recorded in history as an unprecedented traitor.
In other words……
‘King Slayer.’
More precisely, Emperor Slayer, but that’s how it’s known.
There were plenty of other titles for Shine.
- A genius never seen before.
- Primarily a swordsman, but a natural warrior proficient in all weapons.
Finally……
- The tragic genius who went mad as House Leman fell.
His talent was unmatched in continental history.
‘Reached Master Knight at eighteen; that says it all.’
Master Knight isn’t an official imperial rank.
It’s just a term for the pinnacle of knighthood.
In magic terms, it’s on par with Archmage……
Yeah, easy comparison.
‘Pahren.’
The supreme mage who reached the pinnacle.
‘Even that genius didn’t hit Archmage until nearly thirty.’
People said if Shine von Leman had lived to old age, he’d have left a mark on continental history.
I gave Shine a concise summary.
“……That’s the gist.”
[Hm, pretty sparse. Is that really all that’s left?]
There’s more.
‘Too lazy to say it.’
How many famed houses did Shine humiliate?
He beat the Doranpega patriarch in martial arts with bare hands, knelt a spear house using their own spear.
No matter the house, he used their specialty weapon against them, making him infamous.
‘A real bad habit.’
But.
“……Hold on.”
[Oh? What, something else come to mind?]
“You bastard, you’re not Shine von Leman.”
[Hah…… You seemed a bit off mentally, but finally lost it? If I’m not Shine, who is?]
I narrowed my eyes at his cheeky tone and stared him down.
“Shine von Leman.”
[Why call me?]
“The lunatic who invaded the palace with unmatched force and beheaded the emperor. His last words…… ‘I am the emperor.’”
[Correct.]
“And that lunatic died at the age of…….”
History records Shine’s death age as follows.
[Shine von Leman]
- Age 18: Ascended to Master Knight.
- Age 19: House Leman falls; he vanishes.
- Age 20: Reappears, attempts rebellion, and dies at……
“Twenty.”
[Ahem.]
“Shine died at twenty, and you’re Shine?”
From his speech alone, he sounded like my senior’s age.
Voice is hard to judge as a Death Knight, but his mannerisms fit.
As I glared with wide eyes, the Death Knight slyly looked up at the sky.
[Back then, twenty was elder status.]
“Bullshit.”
[No, but you little shit……! Hey, how old are you? I’m still older than you. You look like you’ve lived just over half my age!]
How old am I?
If asked, it’s only polite to answer.
I crossed my arms, tilted my head back, looked down at Shine, and spat.
“Twenty-th…… no, three.”
[Twenty-three?]
“Yeah.”
[No way, what nonsense…….]
Yep, sensitive about age, just like a real Shine.
I smirked at him and opened my mouth.
“As you said, it’s because I couldn’t even eat porridge. Growth spurt, but I starved. Didn’t grow.”
[Wha…… You’re clearly a mage. What mage couldn’t eat porridge? Magic’s for rich folks.]
Of course.
That’s why magic houses focus more on business and expansion than others.
Learning magic needs tons of side funds.
But.
“That’s prejudice. Mages in this era are poor.”
[……Hah. More nonsense…….]
“Nonsense?”
[Non, non…… Ahem. No, even so, I’m your ancestor! Don’t you have parents?]
I cheerfully replied to the fuming Shine.
“Yeah, don’t.”
[…….]
“Never even saw their faces.”
Born a Black-White Slums orphan, I’ve never met family.
No marriage in my past life either, so no descendants.
Shine clamped his mouth shut at my words.
[Sorry…… y-, y-, y-, yes, sir.]
“Yeah, use honorifics. But keep respect in your tone.”
[…….]
Anyway, hierarchy sorted.
‘This guy’s Shine von Leman……?’
Back then, old guys were the bosses.
Mention age, and he bows neatly.
So……
‘Might be usable.’
Now that I knew the low-level situation via the Golden Horse Society.
Our enemies weren’t just Destrow.
Naturally, the Golden Horse Society prepping to awaken it was on the list.
‘Need more forces.’
In that sense, Shine was a fine tool…… no, ally.
Not that I’d use him for free; win-win.
“Kid.”
[No, even so, I…….]
Ignoring Shine’s shrunken voice, I leaned forward with a grin.
“Hey, wanna do a job with me?”
[……Job?]
“That damn black mage who woke you from rest. Don’t you want revenge?”
Shine’s aura changed right then.
Whoosh—!
Terrifying killing intent spreading instantly.
Had he regained some of his living power upon regaining sanity? Or was his hatred for the Golden Horse Society that deep?
‘……Chilling.’
Even I had to consciously resist shrinking back.
“Some grudge, huh? Thought you didn’t care.”
[Figured he was dead. Why hold a grudge against a meat lump? So…….]
Shine’s head snapped toward the corpses strewn about.
[He’s not dead? Then what about those?]
I thought for a sec.
“Hm, his minions.”
[Minions?]
“Oh, you don’t remember. You were just a tool. Treated worse than roadside skeletons.”
[……How dare they.]
His aura intensified.
My smile deepened.
“What was it? Too weak to be useful? Yeah, something like that.”
[Handed off to minions like that?]
“Yep.”
As my words ended.
Boom!
Shine shot to his feet.
[Where is he?]
“Why?”
[Why? Obviously. I need to rip him apart with these hands.]
Shine von Leman, pissed to the max.
I smiled at him.
“Hmm, not easy to find…….”
[……Sounds like you know where he is.]
“Well, I do. But empty promises won’t cut it. You know how the world works; nothing’s easy. Lucky for you, I’ve got business with him too.”
[…….]
Sensing something off?
Shine von Leman eased his aura and stared down at me.
“Eh, if you don’t want to, forget it. Was just offering a chance, but if you pass…….”
At my no-sweat tone, Shine pondered briefly, then…… no mouth, but anyway.
Spoke.
[……Feels like a trap. But fine. If we catch him, I’ll cooperate with you.]
“For real?”
[……Yeah. Was gonna follow you for a while anyway. So, yeah.]
“Sure, whatever.”
Fine self-rationalization.
Feels used but convinces himself otherwise.
Well, not totally used.
“Alright, let’s do this. Shine von Leman.”
[……Better not be lying.]
“Of course not.”
I extended my hand.
Clank.
Black armor gripped mine.
‘Solid.’
Knights are easy like that.
‘Dumb sword swingers.’
Anyway.
“Now, let’s go to my comrades.”
[……Sure.]
I led Shine away.
‘Can buy time until the curse lifts.’
Shine was a card against the Golden Horse Society and a perfect spare until the Thirteen Sins were resolved.
Not a bad haul.