Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Escort Knight Order (2)
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[No mana at all! What the hell are these guys?]
Even as a horde of thugs burst into the outpost, Igzard hadn't noticed a thing.
But I could sense their presence.
This meant they weren't hiding their presence like the Dialogue Church's special grade-1 assassins—they truly had no mana to speak of.
"Let's engage, Sis."
"Right."
Liz moved to the right.
I stayed put and drew Ashurai.
As the thugs charged at the motionless me, I unleashed my mana in perfect timing.
"Grk!"
Whoosh!
Xantia whipped through the air, slamming into the thugs.
At the same moment, I kicked off the ground and swung Ashurai at them.
'No Mana Armor. They really have no mana, huh.'
Thugs without mana attacking an 8-star Sky Knight and a 6-star Ironclad Knight?
That was straight-up suicide.
'Which means...'
I eyed the pitch-black daggers they wielded.
Their tips gleamed ominously.
"Sis!"
I shouted to Liz, who was clashing with foes on the right.
"Poison! Watch out so their blades don't graze you!"
"...!"
I saw Liz give a quick nod.
[Can't let our guard down just because they have no mana.]
'There might be more tricks. Gotta neutralize them thoroughly.'
I snatched Xantia out of the air.
Holding Ashurai and Xantia, I took out two thugs lunging at me from both sides at once.
Liz was steadily overpowering her opponents too, and the thugs were getting completely steamrolled.
"...!"
The one who seemed the most skilled among them charged straight at me.
Not in a straight line—he zigzagged left and right.
Quick for someone not using mana, but to my eyes, he moved in slow motion.
"Urk...!"
Slash!
He spewed blood from my blade and dropped to his knees.
In the meantime, Liz felled the last one standing.
"Spit it out properly."
I grabbed the collar of the groaning thug on his knees.
"Who sent you? Did you know who we were when you attacked?"
"..."
He didn't answer.
He just grimaced in pain.
"You're not mute or anything, are you?"
"..."
Liz stepped up beside me as he clamped his mouth shut.
"Sion, we should treat him first and interrogate later..."
"Too late for that, Sis."
"What?"
"Nah, already too late."
I clicked my tongue and tossed him to the floor.
"Let's bounce, Sis."
"What?"
"Now."
I grabbed Liz's shoulder and bolted out of the outpost.
Right after, the corpses on the outpost floor...
...exploded all at once.
"...!"
Boom boom boom!
The blast was powerful—the outpost went up in flames in seconds.
I could've tanked it with Mana Armor, but something toxic might've spewed out with the explosion, so evacuating was the smart play.
"Vicious bastards."
"..."
Liz bit her lip, staring at the roaring blaze.
"What do you think, Sis?"
"No way they attacked us for no reason."
Liz replied in her usual curt tone.
"Two possibilities."
"I'd say three."
"What's the third?"
"Tell me your two first."
"..."
Liz held up one finger after a brief silence.
"First, they targeted us because we're from House Aleyas."
"Meaning the Dialogue Church or some other Aleyas enemies."
"Second, they targeted us because we're the princess's escort knights."
"Could be someone gunning for her party, or someone who hates the Holy Knights butting in on the escort."
"And the third...?"
To Liz's question, I answered calmly.
"Could be someone inside House Aleyas who wants us gone."
"..."
Liz looked at my face.
"To knock us out of the running for next or next-next Knight Order Leader?"
"Pretty much."
"Low odds."
"But odds that exist."
"..."
I recalled nearly drowning right after reincarnating as Sion Aleyas.
Come to think of it, I still hadn't figured out who was behind that.
'Serxes and Helena don't seem likely.'
If this was an assassin from inside House Aleyas, it'd be the first direct hit since then.
"Gretus branch chief's doing?"
"Who knows."
"..."
Gretus had motive.
And this southern region was his turf. Sending assassins to take us out and clean up after wouldn't be hard.
"What now, Sis?"
"What do you mean, what?"
"With things like this, maybe we should head back."
"..."
"We might get assassinated before even reaching the palace."
Liz's expression didn't change at my words.
"Not planning on that."
"Of course not."
"Then I'm fine with it too."
"Good call."
If they're after our lives, we just smash through them all and reach the palace.
As I thought that and stared at the burning outpost, a commotion erupted from behind.
"Wh-what the hell happened here?"
Seemed like the local knight order handling this area had returned.
"Why's the outpost... You two do this?"
"Local knights?"
"Answer the question!"
They were pretty aggressive.
They'd even drawn swords, threatening us.
"Vice captain! Looks like bodies inside!"
"What?!"
They must've spotted the assassins' corpses peering into the burning outpost.
"Today's been nonstop incidents. And the peak's a murder inside the outpost?"
"Suspicious bunch! Take 'em down!"
They drew blades and surrounded me and Liz.
From their perspective, reacting like this made sense.
"No helping it."
I flung back the travel cloak I'd kept on.
They spotted my chest and flinched.
"Grade-1 Knight Badge?"
"What's that cross-shaped badge next to it? A medal?"
"Y-you idiots...!"
The man called vice captain paled and bowed his head.
"You're Sky Knights! My apologies!"
"...!"
The other knights hurriedly sheathed their swords and bowed too.
Total one-eighty from moments ago.
"Showing one Knight Badge flips their attitude completely."
"Sky Knights."
Yeah, to a local knight order, 8-star Sky Knights were way up the ladder.
"Sk-Sky Knight, sir, what exactly happened here... N-no, what brings you to our neck of the woods...?"
The vice captain asked, gauging my mood.
But before I could reply, a voice rang out.
"Things have gotten messy."
"Captain!"
A man was approaching with Sena, Kain, Robel, and the others.
A guy in his late twenties sporting an Ironclad Knight Badge on his chest.
"I'm Erwin Aleyas, Knight Captain of the Lusecia Local Knight Order. Pleasure meeting the top prospect of our generation."
He offered a handshake with an arrogant tone.
* * *
According to Erwin, incidents had broken out all over the city today, pulling even the reserve knights from the outpost into action.
That's why the outpost was empty—and that's when the thugs snuck in and ambushed.
"From the looks of it... those incidents across the areas today are probably tied to those thugs too."
"Can't pin down who's behind it?"
"Individually, they seemed like ordinary cases. Tough to connect the dots."
Erwin shrugged at Sena's question.
"You guys get attacked like this often? Cost us too, y'know."
"Well..."
"We were gonna renovate soon anyway, but total burn-down? Kinda sucks."
"Sorry. But we're victims here too, so..."
"I get that, but if you hadn't come to our Lusecia, none of this happens."
Sena was handling Erwin, but struggling with his pushiness.
Kain and Robel looked pissed but stayed quiet; Liz watched silently as usual.
Guess I had to step in.
"You're talking nonsense, Erwin Aleyas, Knight Captain."
"What'd you say?"
Erwin eyed me.
"Aren't local knight orders supposed to maintain regional security? Letting thugs run wild in your area is dereliction of duty."
"Dereliction?! Who do you think you are—"
"Didn't even notice thugs hiding in your own outpost. If they'd targeted you instead, you'd be charred corpses found in the rubble by now."
"Don't you wag that loose tongue at me!"
Real shitty attitude.
If he'd gotten orders from above to treat us properly, he wouldn't act like this.
"What're you reporting to the southern branch? 'We all stepped out, outpost empty, thugs snuck in. Attacked HQ guests, burned the place to ash, and we had no clue till then'?"
"H-hey!"
"Southern branch must let local orders get away with this crap. If it was HQ, your head would've rolled."
"Sion Aleyas!"
Erwin glared, eyes bulging.
"You insulting us?"
"Not insulting—pointing out facts, Erwin Aleyas."
"Bullshit! From the start—"
"Watch your tone."
Erwin flinched at my sudden words.
"What?"
"It's been bugging me. How long you gonna keep talking down to me?"
I crossed my arms, staring him down.
"Same House Aleyas or not, mind your manners."
"Wh-what..."
"Did I get it wrong, Erwin Aleyas, Ironclad Knight?"
"..."
Erwin glanced at the Sky Knight Badge on my chest.
Kain and Robel had agonized over using honorifics once I became a Sky Knight too.
That's how prestigious Sky Knights were in the Holy Knight Order.
"You're bold with us 'cause of Gretus Aleyas, branch chief, right?"
"Th-that's..."
"Did the chief give orders? 'No need to be polite'?"
I reached out to Erwin.
"Honestly, we just need to reach the palace on time. Don't need the red-carpet treatment."
"Urk..."
"But you do need to cooperate so we make it on time. And... basic courtesy wouldn't hurt."
As I placed a hand on his shoulder, Erwin twitched.
I'd sent a pulse of mana through his body.
A 6-star Ironclad Knight titleholder. He'd get just how vast the gap between us was.
"G-got it."
"Honorifics."
"Understood..."
Erwin bowed stiffly, face rigid.