Chapter 31
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Peculiar Holy Knight
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When Fred finally found all the children in the deep forest, they were alive—but only as undead beings.
"King Brad shed bloody tears as he gave the order. 'Grant peace to the souls of the prince and the people who are no longer human.'"
Fred and his disciples, along with a large contingent of the Royal Guard, were deployed for that mission.
It wasn't an easy battle.
Nearly half their forces became casualties at the hands of the children turned monsters.
"It wasn't just their monstrous strength. I was under a heavy mental burden myself, which made it all the more grueling."
Fred had hesitated until the very last moment when facing the king's youngest prince.
He couldn't bring himself to strike down the one who'd shown him such grace.
But if there was no way to free him from that wicked curse, someone had to put an end to it.
"King Brad actually thanked me. He said I'd eased his son's suffering. But he couldn't hide his grief. After that, I left Brad. My heart was too heavy. I happened to pass through here and stopped a similar kidnapping attempt. That's how I ended up settling down and becoming the security captain."
"'Him'? Did you catch him?"
Fred shook his head.
"It was some kind of ability. He turned into black smoke and vanished into thin air. I also confirmed he has other powers."
"Like what...?"
"He drains people's life force. That's how he regains his strength. He probably weakened the children that way and turned them into monsters. I got caught once while facing him, but I escaped unharmed."
Fred lowered his raised collar to reveal his neck.
There were clear marks where hands had gripped it tight.
'Looks like it was branded with a hot iron.'
It wasn't the fang marks I'd associated with vampirism, but definite evidence of an attack on the throat.
'Absorbing life force through his hands, huh.'
Fred raised his collar again and spilled everything he knew.
"I don't know how far his dark sorcery has advanced. He was hard to kill, but he didn't resurrect. If what you say is true, though... well..."
Fred shook his head, imagining a resurrection followed by another assault, as if the mere thought repulsed him.
"Wandering mercenaries and merchants say he can create clones. Two or three of them... Probably true. Lately, there's talk he's approaching influential people, teaching them forbidden arts in exchange for manipulating them into schemes. Just rumors, but they ring true."
Charles must have fallen for something similar. Not directly from him, but through a palace mage.
Thanks to that forbidden power, Charles detected the rare demonic bloodline, bound Requiya, and set out on his ability hunt.
'Let me sum this up.'
Silver Star's head hurts!
'Your head is my head.'
There were reasons for launching that ability hunt, but with both Charles and Reyes dead, there was no way to find out.
Maybe it was just a noble hobby for someone like Reyes, born with a silver spoon.
'Charles aside, that vampire bastard had to have some purpose in kidnapping kids and bewitching the powerful. Was it just to sow chaos? The world's chaotic enough already?'
It was all too murky to pin down.
Anyway, this conversation wasn't about unraveling the plot. It was just to pinpoint who Requiya should get revenge on.
"Do you know his name or anything else?"
"Esrelak. He has other names too. Auspof, I think? Something like that. He's holed up in a canyon near the eastern border city of Fiore Kingdom. Our presence keeps the western border safe, but that area's in bad shape. Adult disappearances have spiked lately."
"Shifting from kids to adults as test subjects..."
Fred nodded.
"Means his sorcery's gotten stronger."
This was more than enough info from Fred.
Fiore palace mage.
Esrelak, hiding near the eastern border city.
Didn't matter who first—targets were clear.
'You get it, right?'
I shot Requiya a look, and the demon nodded gravely, his face calm but eyes blazing.
Miner! Swordsman! Andre Bong! Aren't you biting off too much at once?!
'Not at all. Even office workers in a systematized world struggle with sequential tasks. You never know when or where things derail. That's life.'
Ahem! You're getting smarter—I've got so much to learn!
Even tackling tangled knots one by one, who knows what else might crop up midway.
In other words, life is complicated anyway.
Might as well go with the flow, handle what's at hand, focusing on what I can do now.
"Thanks, Fred."
"Planning to go after him?"
"Yeah."
"Won't be easy. Still, you're a young warrior with real pride, more than you look. Outwardly—"
I glared, and he shut up.
He was about to say I look like an asshole.
And he's right.
Even I think Luke Seid comes off as rude.
It's not warrior pride driving me, either.
Requiya's revenge matters, but my mind's elsewhere.
'Esrelak. I want that bastard's ability.'
Turning into black smoke to escape.
Draining life force.
Grab a strong foe's throat, suck it dry—
Then poof into smoke.
Ooh, jackpot.
"Ahem."
Fred cleared his throat, reading the shady glint in my eye.
"Anyway, you're one peculiar miner."
"I'm a holy knight."
I declared it, but Fred didn't laugh.
The wisdom of a man over forty, maybe—his face was unreadable.
But he clearly didn't buy the holy knight bit.
"Then, a peculiar holy knight it is."
I am pretty peculiar.
But I don't shirk duties or ignore injustice.
Jobless with nothing better to do, anyway.
"I'm off."
"See you."
Fred grinned wide and flipped me the bird.
What? This guy's picking a fight?
Then I noticed Requiya's proud face.
'Ah, that bastard taught him.'
A curse back home, but here it's "see ya."
All that demon's fault.
"Requiya, wipe that grin off."
"Why?"
Gonna smack him for real.
Over ten days had passed in the western border city already.
I'd planned to snag the ability from the mine and bounce, paying the fee with iron ore sales.
"Boss, money's not adding up like we thought."
"Why?"
My blank look probably screamed idiot.
Requiya's face said it all: How does someone lack basic economics this bad?
Lived in a house Mom saved for me, bought everything on her card even as a firefighter—why would I know money?
Sorry, Mom.
Requiya sighed quietly and explained step by step.
"Mining iron ore one night nets us 4 gold together. Not bad. We work two days, rest one. That's 8 gold for three days. Lodging and food cost 2 gold a day. So, after three days here, how much is left?"
Why's this punk quizzing me like a math teacher?
Still, as an educated holy knight, I counted on fingers.
"2 gold."
"Correct. Add training grounds and hot springs: 15 silver a day."
10 silver = 1 gold.
After six days, Requiya held our lone remaining coin, glinting pathetically.
Of course, that's not our all—we had loot from Reyes and his goons saved for emergencies. This was living off work earnings.
"What's the issue? Prices?"
"No home means all our money goes to room and board."
Ah, damn housing crisis.
"So, your take?"
"Monthly lodging, rent a place, or find better-paying work and leave."
"Sound advice."
"But I know you can't stay long-term."
"Spot on."
"And with the ability's scent here, you won't leave till you get it."
"Nothing left to add. Why belabor it?"
"To save on lodging—live in the mine? We bathe at the springs anyway."
Sounded solid.
I'd wondered if Suhes was overcharging, but overnight guests paid more than us regulars.
So, no point griping at the half-bald innkeeper.
"The mine... Not bad."
Requiya managed the money, so no arguing.
Could ditch the ability and split now.
Silver Star's guardian! Merchant! Miner! Holy knight Andre Bong! This place good! Let's play lots before we go!
But Silver Star wanted to explore this little town.
'If that's what you want.'
Damn money, money, money.
Seems essential in a world with people.
Miss Mom's card.
'Silver Star, I'm not playing. Pickaxe swinging's manual labor to a miner.'
Play while swinging pickaxe—they pay money! With money, buy tasty food! Sleep in bed! Bathe in tub!
Developing economic sense—smart kid.
So why do my eyes sting?
Anyway, we decided to live in the mine per Requiya's suggestion.
Some drifter miners did the same; the mine was surprisingly comfy and safe.
Days, we'd spar with swords.
Skill gap made it more instruction than match. I used techniques honed sparring Fred against Requiya.
His blade sharpened daily.
"Boss, your side's open."
Requiya grazed my waist with his wooden sword and sassed me again.
This punk's mouth levels up faster than his skills.
Speaking of—
Luke Seid's body was martial genius material, but Requiya? Pure demonic talent.
How'd he waste it...? Oh, right—survival. Damn money, money, money.
No Mom's card for him; must've been tougher.
"Boss—hey! Eek!"
My wooden sword sliced where his throat was; he leaped back.
"Speak."
"You sure about this? Your plan."
"What? Gonna call me peculiar?"
"No way. You're stepping up to help the unprotected eastern border city."
Is that how it looks?
I'm just gonna rip Esrelak apart and snag his ability.
Surface-level, aiding Requiya's revenge. Odd question.
No malice, but demon-brand whimsy.
Can't explain with human logic anyway.
"Isn't that calling me peculiar?"
I swung my wooden sword down in a powerful diagonal arc.
Crack!
Requiya twisted his wrist, deflecting it.
"Whoa! Not at all."
He'd progressed—no more rolling on the ground to dodge.
"I meant it's truly holy knight-like. Your path so far's a bit weird, sure."
"My path so far?"
"Selling loot on the black market, mining with a pickaxe—Eek!"
I swung hard at the spouting demon's yap.