Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Second Guardian Spirit
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A field not far from the eastern coast.
Green-skinned orcs, trolls, and goblins had formed an alliance and begun to move.
-Kieeeek!
These were low-grade monsters below rank 6, incapable of even conversing.
For such primitive creatures to band together, there had to be a powerful leader directing them.
Who the hell was controlling this many monsters—and not just one type, but three?!
"We absolutely cannot fall back!"
An elderly man bearing the Glazer family's crest—a crescent moon—on his forehead hurled a massive fireball into the sky above.
Kwaboom!
The mages threw everything they had at the enemy. But there were far fewer humans than monsters, and they began to be pushed back.
No matter how strong a mage was, the mana an individual could wield had its limits.
"C-Captain! There are too many monsters. We need to retreat now!"
"No. If we break, everyone in that village dies."
"What does that matter? We're the ones about to die!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a voice laced with amusement echoed from above.
"He's right. If you don't want to die, run while you can."
"?!"
The young mage looked up to find the source of the voice.
Flash—
Silver glinted before his eyes.
"...A knight?"
Thud.
The mage's head hit the ground.
The elderly mage called captain recoiled in shock.
Where his gaze fell stood a knight in blue armor, chuckling as he wiped blood from his blade.
Swipe—
"If you don't want your head rolling like that."
"Y-You! What are you doing here?!"
"Huh? You know who I am?"
"You're Hysteria, third son of Roys!"
Hysteria, third son of the Strange family—known across the continent as the ultimate delinquent.
He tilted his head in surprise.
"How'd you know? Not many recognize my face."
"How could I not? I've seen you on the battlefield more than three times."
"Three times? Guess you're a decent mage then. Most don't survive that many encounters."
They glared at each other. No movement, but they probed with high-level checks.
"Was all this your doing?"
"What?"
"Those monsters. They're not from around here in the east."
"......"
"And look at their armament. It's like the knights from the south."
Hysteria twitched an eyebrow and slowly approached the old mage.
Step, step, step.
"Ha! Dangerous imagination from a Glazer mage. Are you saying a Strange family member like me brought monsters into Glazer territory?"
"Yes."
"Something risky enough to get me exiled from my family?"
"You could."
"I could?"
The mage gathered mana in both hands as he replied.
"I know what you want."
"What do I want?"
"...War."
Flash!
Hysteria closed the distance in an instant, pressing his blade to the mage's throat with a smile.
Flash—
"Correct."
"...What?"
"Correct. I brought those guys. Got bored traveling east alone."
"Y-You madman!"
"Madman?"
"Yes, madman! Do you know what you've done?!"
"Eh, don't care. Watch your mouth, old timer."
"What?"
"I'm not the mad one. This world is."
The old mage tilted his head.
"What?"
"Are your ears going? Making me repeat myself. I'm not the mad one."
Flash—
Hysteria severed the mage's wrists.
Thud.
"This world is."
"Arrrghhh!"
With cold eyes, he stomped the fallen mage's solar plexus and warned.
"The one who ordered those Red Worm bastards. Where is he?"
The training grounds in the Strange family castle.
Bound head to toe, Rox bellowed in fury.
"Uwaaaah! Give me back my mom!!"
"Calm down."
"Give her back!"
He repeated the same words, ignoring my voice entirely.
And the intense killing intent on his face as he glared at me like he wanted to kill me. What had happened to make him this angry?
'I definitely let her live.'
Why was he demanding his mom from me? I had questions, but answered first.
"I don't know where your mom is."
"Liar!"
"Why would I lie to you?"
"Shut up, you liar. I... I won't trust humans anymore!"
"Believe me or not. I can only say one thing: I never took your mom."
I swung my sword, severing the ropes binding his wrists.
Flash—
"That said, I'd like to hear what happened. If you don't want to talk, fine."
"......"
"But know this: without my help, you'll die soon. And you won't see your mom again."
"Shut up!"
Rox snatched the warhammer beside him and charged.
Thud thud thud.
Swinging a blunt weapon bigger than himself overhead, he reminded me of an ogre.
Whoosh—whoosh—!
"Die!"
Whoosh!
I dodged lightly and pressed my palm to his abdomen.
"Lightning."
With a pop, purple light burst from Rox's gut. He flew back, slamming into the wall.
Bang!
"Guh!"
"Too slow."
I stood still, waiting. He charged again and again.
How many times did it repeat? Only after realizing he could never win did he speak.
"You attacked our village and took my mom...!"
"I told you, I didn't take her."
"That's the lie."
"Why think that?"
"Because you're a Strange."
"Because I'm a Strange?"
Rox held up a torn cloth. It was definitely the lining of our family knights' armor.
He explained: knights with a cross emblem on their backs raided the fortress, massacred indiscriminately, and took Galsvint.
'Could it be that guy?'
"Do you know what their commander looked like?"
"...Blond, wielding a massive two-handed sword. He was giving the orders."
"Blond with a huge sword?"
A cross emblem for the Strange family. A blond man with a two-handed sword commanding them.
Anyone—not just me—would think of him immediately.
The Strange family's eldest son, called the Golden Tiger of the East.
'Gunter.'
He must have raided the ogre fortress instead of the Glazers.
'Sigh.'
Probably because I attacked Edward, twisting the causal chain.
The Glazers were supposed to hit the ogre fortress originally, but things had gone this way.
"I know who that blond is. And I think I know where your mom is too."
"R-Really?"
I pointed to the portrait on the wall above the door. It showed my eldest brother, Gunter, staring sternly ahead.
"Is that the second one the guy?"
"Y-Yes!"
"That's my eldest brother."
"Eldest brother?"
"Yeah."
"So he's family?"
"Yes."
No sooner said than Rox lunged at me.
Smack!
His face red with rage, he grabbed my collar and vented.
"You bastard! Humans really can't be trusted!!"
"Rox."
"It was all your family's doing after all."
"Calm down."
"Shut up. I won't listen to you anymore."
"Rox. I said calm down."
I blasted Lightning into his abdomen again.
Bang!
He flew like a paper doll, tumbling across the training grounds.
"Kuh!"
"Don't want to listen? Fine. But remember this: without my help, your mom dies soon."
"Wh... What?"
"The guy you described is my eldest brother, Gunter, the Strange family heir."
"Gunter..."
"Even if he wins, he's not merciful enough to release enemies. He has no need for slaves—he'll probably use her as an experiment or kill her."
"N-No..."
"Rox, think. If you really want to save your mom, should you fight me? Or beg?"
No more words needed. He'd decide. What to do next.
I sat silently in the corner chair. After a long time, Rox stood before me, breathing heavily.
"What do I have to do?"
I planned to delay contracting Brunhilt as long as possible. Word of someone wielding two Guardian Spirits would cause waves.
Too much power could turn even allies into enemies.
At my young age, without fully blooming, it'd make enemies inside and outside the castle.
Siegfried floated before me, eyebrows raised.
"What makes you think that kid won't open the necklace and contract her?"
"What do you mean?"
"If he does?"
Master was full of complaints today. Because I'd locked him with the Soul Stone in the small forge inside Strange Castle.
"It won't happen."
"It will."
"It won't."
"It will."
"Won't."
"Will."
"Won't."
"...You talking back to me, punk?"
I shook my head. Neither yes nor no—just refusing conversation.
"Hey, answer me."
"Master."
"What."
"Why do you think Brunhilt became a Guardian Spirit?"
"Why?"
Siegfried pondered, chin in hand, then grinned.
"Obvious. To become a god."
Bingo.
Then who would a Brunhilt aspiring to godhood want to contract with?
"If Brunhilt really wants to be a god, would she contract with Rox? To reach the top of the tower?"
"...Huh, true."
"If I were a Guardian Spirit, I'd contract with someone who could conquer the tower."
"Fair. But he's still her bloodline."
"Bloodline doesn't mean contracting with anyone. You know that best, Master. You waited until I came."
Siegfried nodded vigorously.
"True enough."
I knew.
Who Brunhilt wanted. What she desired.
So my task was simple: fulfill her conditions in advance.
"Emma. Can you call Tony, Jony, and Rony for me?"