Chapter 80
Chapter 80
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 80
>Chapter Title: Are You Better at Fighting Than This Guy?
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Returning to the Second Base Camp, Fixer was directing the Aviot mercenaries as they made their preparations.
“……Hmm. Right on time. But who's that behind you……?”
Fixer's eyes gleamed with wariness.
I'd gone off to catch the ones responsible for wiping out the Second Base Camp, only to return with some mystery figure in tow—so naturally, he was on guard.
But it wasn't just that.
A quick glance.
The way he subtly puffed out his chest while eyeing Shine was straight out of a standoff between two male gorillas.
Sizing each other up, perhaps.
And the result?
[……Heh.]
Victory went to Shine.
Anyway.
“Call Obern and Railey. Oh, and bring Plen if you can. Got something to say.”
“……Hmm, got it. For now. But damn, he's built.”
[You're kinda scrawny yourself.]
“This is nothing compared to my prime.”
[I was pretty jacked back in the day too.]
A pride match between a two-century-old punk who still thought like he was twenty and a fresh-faced almost-fifty hotshot.
'A rare delicacy.'
Anyway.
Fixer soon gathered everyone I'd asked for.
“Senior, you okay?”
Obern, who'd apparently heard the rundown from Fixer, tossed out the question.
He gave me a once-over, then pulled a robe from his sub-space and handed it over.
“For now…… this is a spare I got from Master. Take it at least……”
“Hmm. Sure.”
I already had one from my senior, but hey—more robes were always better.
Meanwhile.
“……Everyone else is busting their asses, and you're off hiding somewhere? I thought you'd pulled another midnight runner……”
“Like you did?”
“……Ugh.”
Railey grumbled sourly, took the jab, and clamped his mouth shut without landing a hit.
“…….”
Plen quietly took in the scene.
'Hmm…… sharp eyes……'
He was alive, alright.
A true rolling-stone mercenary.
Even after seeing his comrades butchered, no trace of fear or panic—just those eyes burning bright.
Simple reason I'd called Plen.
'He deserves to know.'
Who his comrades had fallen to.
What they'd been used for.
And why those bastards had done it.
I'd keep quiet on Salvatium and the Gold Demon Cult specifics, but the broad strokes? Yeah, he'd get those.
“Alright. Reason I stepped out yesterday…… some of you know, some don't.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Bored Railey……
“…….”
And Plen, staring daggers at me.
“Yesterday, I took out the rats who massacred the Second Base Camp. Now I'll tell you what I got out of them.”
Cramped little shack.
As my tale unfolded, a tangle of emotions started churning in the air inside.
When it was all done.
“……So that Death Knight……?”
Fixer stared at Shine, eyes quivering faintly.
I nodded.
Of course, I hadn't spilled Shine's full identity. Just his level.
'King Slayer……'
Forget Master Knight—that presence alone was threat enough.
Anyway.
“Tin can.”
[No, you rot……]
Even as he grumbled, Shine von Leman shrugged off his robe without protest.
That was the moment everyone's eyes bugged out to their limits.
* * *
After Shine's true nature came out.
Chaos erupted among the group.
“A Death Knight……? From what I know, Death Knights are definitely……”
Fixer was first to speak up.
“Remnants of black magic.”
“……Hah. Felt something off, but…… a Death Knight? Never saw that coming.”
So utterly out of left field.
Hell, they could barely scrape together a reaction.
In the midst of it, Railey went sheet-white and started edging backward—which caught Shine's eye.
[Heh heh. Got yourself a tasty-looking soul there.]
“……Eek!”
[Kidding, kidding. Don't eat souls. Damn, big guy like you with the guts of a pea.]
Railey looked about to faint, and Shine waved it off with a bored flick of his hand.
But the gravest reaction came from Obern.
“Senior, what the hell is this…… how did this happen?!”
Obern's response was a far cry from the other two.
“Death Knight…… a Death Knight is……”
“A cursed monster?”
“Yes, a cursed monster. But how do you……”
“Hmm.”
I crossed my arms and eyed Obern.
“What're you getting at? Cursed monster, so let's hack its head off quick?”
[Head off won't kill me anyway.]
“Anyway.”
[FYI, already dead, so no dying twice.]
Shine yapped on smugly, and Obern's face grew even graver.
Yeah, right on cue.
'That stiff won't swallow it easy.'
Reason I'd revealed Shine's deal wasn't anything fancy.
Could hush it up with the other mercs easy enough, but hiding it from these guys? Tough sell.
'Fixer's the merc boss……. Railey's gotta gauge our firepower. And Plen……'
He'd earned the right.
Had to know how his comrades died—what they'd been sacrificed for.
But the shock must've hit hard.
“…….”
Plen just gawked, words failing him.
I gave Plen a moment, then turned away.
“Obern.”
“……Yes, senior.”
Obern answered without looking away from Shine, eyes thick with caution.
I hit him with one line.
“You better at fighting than this guy?”
[Compare like to like. Obviously me.]
“You, shut it.”
I smacked the back of Shine's helmet, then pressed on.
“Knight who hit Master Knight in his past life. Cursed monster? You know how many mercs this one monster's worth?”
“Th-that……”
Hadn't spilled Shine's living identity.
But the level? Already out.
I leaned into Obern's obvious fluster and hammered home the logic.
Practical pitch.
Obern being Obern, I layered on the principles and fancy talk, but the core?
Straight from the opener……
'So, you better at fighting than him?'
Guy's a powerhouse with brains to match.
“……Th-that…… whew.”
Weak sauce with weak arguments—Obern had no shot.
Under five minutes, he was cornered. That's when Shine, who'd been watching quiet, finally chimed in.
[Young mage.]
“Speak…… sir.”
Shine striking a solemn pose that didn't suit him one bit.
What came out? Pure theater.
[By origin, I am the emperor's loyal knight. Cursed monster as you claim, yet my fealty endures unchanged.]
……This bastard.
[Do you know? The agony of a soul turned undead?]
“……”
[It torments me still. No flesh, yet flames unquenched sear my form.]
That part rang true.
Undead felt soul-deep torment, form be damned.
Why black mages stuck to mindless corpses over sentient undead with egos.
'Beyond skill issues…… souls just shatter.'
Reason the Gold Demon Cult sealed Shine's self when forging the Death Knight.
No sense wasting a prize creation to pain-madness.
Pulled that intel straight from the Gold Demon Cult.
'In that light……'
Legendary madman for the ages? Shine's will was no joke.
Obern caught the truth in it too, maybe.
His gaze softened as he looked at Shine.
“But…… why? Why endure……?”
[Why bear this pain? I told you—emperor's sword.]
Schwing—
The greatsword at Shine's hip came free.
He snapped into imperial knight's formal salute with practiced grace, locking eyes with Obern.
[Dead, yet emperor's sword. But that black mage defiled my loyalty.]
“……”
[Raised this corpse to wield blade for filthy scum, not emperor. Mage—do you grasp it?]
Voice thick with anguish.
[A knight's heart, loyalty profaned—that torment!]
Icy silence blanketed the room.
[Lord gone, no plea for mercy. Breath fled, no atonement in death. Then what am I to do?!]
In that instant, Shine was a lion.
Not dead (死者)—lion (獅子). The beast, white-maned king of the wilds.
[Naught to be done. Save…… one path.]
The fallen lion poured his wounded soul out to the young mage.
[Revenge. Aye, revenge. Rending the damned who spat on my fealty and lord—that alone gives purpose to this undeath. Yet……]
Clang!
The greatsword ripped free from the deep-gouged earth.
“……Eek!”
Railey cringed and recoiled, but Shine swung it straight at Obern.
No—didn't swing.
“……!”
He gripped the flat of the blade, offering the hilt to Obern.
[If doubt lingers, strike me down with this blade now. I swear it—on my lord's honor, by your hand I fall.]
“…….”
Obern stared at the hilt, lost.
Eyes trembling. Breath hitching. And last—
'Crying?'
A single tear tracing his cheek.
Obern gazed at Shine through damp eyes.
“I……”
Obern stepped forward, bypassing the hilt to reach Shine.
Slender fingers brushed the sooty black plate with care.
“I…… so lacking. Blind to your pain, narrow-minded yet again…… ah, how it must torment you.”
Obern wept as if feeling Shine's agony in his bones.
[……]
Shine gazed down with solemn gravity.
Our eyes met right then.
'See that?'
Chest puffed out like he'd scripted the whole damn thing.
'Un-fucking-believable.'
Felt my core mana swell with sheer awe.
'Emperor?'
Sure, Shine had been the emperor's sword.
Catch? The sword that 'severed the emperor's neck.'
No imperial knight bullshit—slayer of the knight order, emperor's head too. Ultimate rebel.
And this clown's playing what?
'……Gotta be that caliber to lop an emperor's head.'
Head spun.
* * *
The storm of chaos finally blew over.
“Then I'll…… get the preparations rolling.”
“Yeah. Let's move.”
Fixer shot Shine a glance, then turned on his heel.
Tight schedule even just chasing Destrow—but now with new enemies in play.
Frankly, snagging a Death Knight like Shine turned minor freakouts into net wins.
Of course, one guy it wasn't minor for: Plen.
His reaction though?
Way off script.
- Your hands…… might bear my comrades' blood? That's true?
- So they claim. No memory, but yeah—can't rule it out.
- You……!
Fresh fury boiling up, ragged breaths heaving.
But something jammed inside, clutching his chest like ripping out his heart, spitting hot gusts.
When he lifted his head, eyes were glacial.
- I'll think this through rationally.
- Holding it in ain't healthy. Do whatever—I'll take it till your rage burns out.
- Someone said it once. Anger’s energy too.
- Yeah. Wiser than my young self.
Cooler head than expected.
Not drowning in fury—instead, zeroing on the right mark.
'That poise? No wonder Fixer's after him.'
Less brute merc, more ice-vein commander.
Actual chops? Gotta test 'em.
And so we carved through Hamern Great Forest.
Master Knight powerhouse joins? Smooth sailing.
- Crunch!
- ……Holy shit. One-shotted a Hone Tiger……
- Pfft, this? Back in my day, these punks bolted from a glare, eh?
Shine, Death Knight warming up, took point and mulched monsters.
'Damn……'
Most of his old power gone, and still this stacked?
One gripe though……
'Can't pull the Gold Demon Cult's trick.'
The stage that necromancer bitch set to snag me.
Clearing monsters everywhere for pristine battlefield.
No forbidden magic mastery? Useless.
'Even master forbidden spells, strings attached.'
Anyway—blitz progress.
Hit Third Base Camp before long.
[Third Base Camp]
“Third Base Camp. Been ages since I saw it myself. But……”
Fixer led the way inside.
The sight of Third Base Camp? Desolate wasteland vibe.
Not tidied like First. No slaughterhouse like Second.
Facilities mostly whole, barrier ringed with war-prep barricades and such.
Moat dug around it too, river water diverted nearby……
'Barrier up solid.'
Barrier warding off monster incursions.
Felt less "gone for good," more "back anytime."
Right then, a merc combing the camp hustled over holding something.
“Chief, you gotta see this.”
Fixer and I were scoping the place when he eyed the proffered item.
A sheet of parchment.
“……Hmm. Figured as much?”
Fixer scanned it quick, nodded slow.
“What's it say?”
“Letter for me. They're ahead—join up ASAP.”
“Just you?”
“Yeah. Second Camp's chief Harlig…… not the joining type.”
Obviously skipped him in the heads-up.
Plen stepped up then.
“……Our chief did commit to joining in the end. I was the one against.”
“Hmm. My bad. Spoke ill of the dead.”
“It's fine. Guy's usual shit? Deserves the shade.”
Plen, apparently sorted his head last few days, tossed in dry wit.
Face parched as dust though.
“What now?”
Fixer eyed me.
“Huh?”
“Noon sharp. We could push on. Or crash easy here.”
“Push on. Duh.”
Long road ahead.