The Wound That Could Not Be Forgiven
Albert’s fury was terrifying when he caught someone lying. Especially when that lie had left a wound on Elena. The sister he had protected like gold and jade all this time now bore a mark on her skin. He would never allow it.
“If you wanted to die, you should’ve said so. I would’ve kindly issued you a one-way ticket to the afterlife—using your own necks as payment!”
Albert’s hand shot out. The knight had no time to dodge. The moment he realized what was happening, he was already caught.
“Graaaah!!”
The knight screamed as Albert’s grip crushed him. He thrashed desperately, but it was useless. Albert clenched his other fist and drove it into the knight’s abdomen like lightning—right through the armor.
Penetration
The skill pierced the armor and delivered the impact directly inside. But it didn’t stop there.
Impact Amplification
“Huh?” Albert blinked in surprise. He had only meant to use Penetration, yet the System had activated Impact Amplification on its own. The skill increased the force of the blow by 1.5 times.
“What the—?”
I’m angry too!
A wound on Lady Elena?!
I will never forgive this!!
(╬◣ 益 ◢)
The System was radiating pure rage. It had poured its fury into the skill the moment Albert struck.
‘Well done. But let’s not cross the line.’
Albert drew a firm boundary. Normally the System never used skills without his consent. It was his supporter, after all. This kind of independent action crossed that line. He scolded it sternly.
Hmph… I know.
Just this once! I was really mad too!!
Hmph hmph!!
Albert decided to let the System’s once-in-a-lifetime rebellion slide. It had been that angry, after all.
‘Only this once.’
Understood.
“Guhk……”
The knight foamed at the mouth and collapsed. He might have endured Penetration alone, but the added Impact Amplification knocked him out cold.
“Next.”
Albert tossed the knight aside and turned to Park. Park stared in disbelief at how easily his own Expert-rank knight had been subdued.
‘An Expert Low… taken down that fast…?’
Park himself was an Expert who could slaughter orcs with ease. Yet that same knight had been dismantled in seconds. Impossible.
“Now it’s your turn.”
“W-wait, you’re not going to hit me too, are you!?”
“You sure know how to state the obvious. Let’s see how satisfying the sound of hitting you is.”
“I-I am Park Ruckri! A noble! You can’t just—”
Smack!
Too late. Before Park could finish, Albert’s hand had already moved. A crisp sound rang out as Park’s head snapped to the side. A vivid handprint bloomed on his cheek, and blood began to trickle from one nostril.
“N-nosebleed!!”
Park glared at Albert with savage eyes.
“You dare—!”
Smack!
His head whipped the other way. His eyes widened.
“Why…?”
“It looks ugly if only one side is bleeding. Balance is important in everything. Wouldn’t it be better if both sides matched? So I fixed it for you.”
What kind of nonsense was that? He had deliberately struck the other side just to make it symmetrical?
Park gritted his teeth and wiped his nose with his sleeve.
He has quite the spirit.
Most people would’ve begged for mercy by now…
“You think you’ll get away with this? I am Park Ruckri! The moment I return—”
His eyes rolled back. He had barely endured the first blow, but the delayed shock finally caught up.
Based on his breathing and pulse, he’s simply unconscious.
Fainting from something this minor…
Elena sighed, looking exasperated as she stared at the fallen Park.
“Haa, Brother, you went too far.”
“Too far? You’re bleeding!”
“It’s just a scratch.”
“What if that sword was poisoned? It clearly hasn’t been maintained. What if you got tetanus—”
“Still, a nosebleed is excessive.”
Elena crouched down. At first it looked like she was worried about Park, but she simply shoved him aside with an annoyed expression.
“Bloodstains on the carpet are such a hassle… You should’ve broken a bone instead of making him bleed.”
“……”
She hadn’t been concerned about Park at all. She was only worried about the carpet getting dirty. It was an expensive carpet bought for the noble reception room, and now it had a bright red stain on the gray fabric. Elena glared at Park with clear irritation. He really was a walking disaster in every way.
“This won’t come out easily… What should we do?”
Albert smiled warmly at his sister, who was fretting over an object rather than a person.
“My little sister has grown up so much!”
……You’re calling that “grown up”?
* * *
“Huu……”
Baron Ventry Ruckri sat in his office, letting out a deep sigh.
“Is there truly no way……?”
He muttered to himself in self-mockery. The elves were the problem. He had tried everything—hiring mercenaries from the guild, equipping his knights with better gear, even requesting mages from the magic tower. All of it had failed. The only news that returned was annihilation. No one came back alive.
“Damn it……”
Ventry clutched his head. His once-thick hair was thinning rapidly from the stress. Severe circular alopecia. He could feel his hairline receding further every morning. The sight of strands tangled around his fingers while washing his hair made his skin crawl.
Knock knock knock.
“My lord…… A reply has arrived.”
The butler entered, carrying a thick stack of letters. Ventry looked up with hopeful eyes.
“Did…… any of them agree?”
“No…… They all refused.”
“I see……”
He had sent requests for aid to other nobles, promising generous rewards in return. Every single one had declined. They had investigated and reached the same conclusion: the elves could not be stopped. Even if they could, the casualties would be devastating. No noble was willing to help the baron’s house to that extent.
“……Where are the elves now?”
“Not far. In one week…… No, considering their increasing speed, in the worst case, two days……”
“Two days…… What about the First Knight Order?”
“They’re stationed in a nearby village, awaiting orders.”
The situation was grim. He had exhausted every option, yet the elves’ advance continued. Their movement speed had even increased compared to their first encounter—as if all obstacles had been cleared.
“My lord, we cannot afford to stay here. You must flee.”
“Flee? And where exactly would I go……?”
“We’ll have to find somewhere! If we remain like this, we’ll all die! My lord, you must make a decision!”
The butler urged him to act. They could no longer hold out. The mercenary guild had stopped accepting requests, and the magic tower had turned its back. Even the temple had refused, citing that most of their personnel had been dispatched to aid another noble under attack by Mains.
“Huu……”
Ventry sighed again. With each breath, more hair seemed to flee his scalp like panicked refugees.
“My lord! It’s an emergency!”
A knight burst into the office.
“What happened?”
“Young Master Park!!”
“What happened to Park!?”
“W-well…… It turns out Young Master Park and Sir Rendel went to the Legrian family to request aid.”
“The Legrian family? Haa…… I told him not to go……”
No wonder he hadn’t seen Park for days. He had assumed the boy was off causing trouble elsewhere, never imagining he had gone to the Legrians.
“So what happened to him?”
“A man with red hair and red eyes appeared in a flash of light, then vanished—leaving the carriage, the coachman, Sir Rendel, and the young master behind.”
“Vanished?”
“Yes…… And both of them were injured. They’re in the treatment room now.”
“Injured…… How badly?”
“Not seriously, but…… they seem to have suffered quite a mental shock.”
“……I’ll go see for myself.”
Ventry rose and headed straight to the treatment room. After speaking with Park and Rendel, he returned to his office. Their physical wounds were minor—potions had already healed them. The real issue was their minds. When asked to explain, they only rambled incoherently. The coachman knew nothing either.
“……What do you think?”
Ventry asked the butler. The man thought carefully before answering.
“Sir Rendel is an Expert Low knight. For someone to subdue him in an instant means they must be incredibly strong.”
“That’s true. Even among our territory’s knights, Sir Rendel ranks among the strongest.”
“He’s in the top five, at least.”
Having even one Expert-rank knight was impressive for a baron’s house. Yet that knight had been defeated without landing a single blow and knocked unconscious.
“……According to the coachman, he closed his eyes for a moment and then they were here.”
“You mean…… teleportation over that distance?”
“He must be a high-ranking mage. In my humble opinion, at least a 6th Circle…… No, perhaps even 7th Circle.”
Ventry was stunned. The Legrian family had two such powerful individuals? It made no sense. A count’s house that had fallen due to treason, slowly wasting away beside Monster Land with no allies. Yet that same territory supposedly housed an Expert-slaying warrior and a mage capable of teleportation.
‘Just as Park said…… I should have requested their help at least once. But I refused her aid four years ago……’
“My lord…… This may be our first and last chance. The coachman said the Legrian territory has changed completely. Just in case……”
“……But the fact that Park returned in that state means they refused, doesn’t it? And after my son was beaten like that, how could I……”
“He must have done something to deserve it.”
“What?”
“……Oops, slip of the tongue.”
“……Is that what you’ve been thinking all along?”
Ventry glared. The butler looked away and busied himself with nothing. Still, knowing Park’s usual behavior, it was highly likely he had provoked them.
‘The Legrian family…… So that bloodline still runs strong after all. I heard they had fallen……’
“My lord, we have no time to hesitate. We must try.”
At the butler’s urging, Ventry slowly nodded. The other side was already displeased because of Park. To gain their help, he would need to offer something they could use.
‘If I offer that…… Whether they accept it or not is another matter……’
“Butler.”
“Yes.”
“Prepare a letter and the fastest messenger hawk we have.”
“Understood.”
He immediately dispatched the hawk—the most expensive one they owned. It was worth every coin. The bird soared toward Legrian Territory at incredible speed. The reply came just as quickly.
BOOM!
Less than three hours after sending the hawk, the office door burst open and Albert strode in, clutching the letter tightly.
“You……”
“You’re Ventry Ruckri?”
“Black hair…… black eyes…… Did the hawk really arrive already?”
Ventry and the butler blinked in shock.
‘Expensive really is better!’
They had known the costly hawk was fast, but three hours? It had more than earned its price. They would definitely use it again.
Regardless of their surprise, Albert walked straight up to the desk and slammed the letter down.
“The contents of this letter…… They’re true, right?”
—Wouldn’t you like to know the truth behind your parents’ deaths?
Albert’s eyes burned with an intensity he had never shown before. In his hand was a hand axe, and with a chilling gaze, he spoke.
“If you lie, your neck might just fly off.”