0% Being the center of attention is an unsettling experience.
Perhaps it would be different for those accustod to standing on a stage or a podium. But until recently, I was nothing more than the second son of a rural viscount, unaccustod to the gaze of others. It was only natural that the sudden flood of attention felt burdenso.
A life where whispers followed my every step.
Even when I tried to conceal my identity, nothing seed to change. In fact, hiding my face under a hood seed to only piqued people’s curiosity even further.
Well, I supposed that was understandable.
Two rcenaries had suddenly appeared, bearing the seal of the Imperial family. On top of that, both of us had strong physiques, causing us to stand out no matter where we went.
It was no surprise that we were t with wary stares.
“They said they were commissioned by the Imperial family...”
“Co on, would the Emperor hand out his seal so carelessly? They must have noble blood.”
“Maybe they’re from the Imperial Intelligence we’ve only heard rumors about?”
Fortunately, no one seed to have figured out my true identity yet, which suited just fine.
The reason behind the mass outbreak of demonic beasts was still unclear, but if it was related to the incident, the Dark Order was likely involved. And to them, I was practically a high-priority target.
Revealing my identity prematurely would only complicate matters. Of course, I knew it wasn’t sothing I could hide forever.
The mont I pulled out my hatchet, more than half the people here would probably realize who I was.
However, unlike , Sir Reynold didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the attention.
“I didn’t expect you to have an Imperial Seal.”
It was a simple remark.
Yet, I found myself reflexively giving an awkward smile. Now that I thought about it, the fact that I possessed the Dragonblood Script was known only to my closest companions.
It was only natural for Sir Reynold to be suspicious.
After a brief deliberation, I cobbled together a plausible excuse.
“I received it recently, supposedly as a reward for slaying the underling of the Evil God.”
“The weight of that insignia isn’t sothing to take lightly.”
By ‘insignia,’ he seed to be referring to the dragon emblem engraved on the seal.
It was sothing I was already well aware of. But I couldn’t just interrupt an elder’s well-aning advice, so I patiently waited for him to continue.
“It ans that no matter where you go on the continent, not only just within the Empire, you can accomplish whatever you desire. Like today, for instance.”
“Which also ans I must be equally cautious.”
“Glad you’re aware of it. Never forget that attention and suspicion are two sides of the sa coin.”
The reason for Sir Reynold’s warning soon beca clear.
As soon as we left the garrison toward the area where the demonic beasts had appeared, I felt the presence of soone trailing us from behind. They weren’t even bothering to hide it.
As I glanced over my shoulder, I saw two Holy Knights co to an abrupt halt.
It was the middle-aged knight who spoke first.
“As you know, ensuring the safety of esteed guests is one of the Holy Nation’s duties.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
And the one who responded from our side was Sir Reynold.
His deep, cold voice was well-suited for intimidation, especially when the other party couldn’t easily determine our identities.
Of course, the other side wasn’t going to retreat so easily either.
“We ask for your understanding. If, by so misfortune, we had to report that an Imperial envoy had died within territory under the Holy Nation’s jurisdiction...”
“We aren’t envoys. We’re here purely on personal business.”
I stifled a laugh at Sir Reynold’s shalessness.
We had resorted to showing them the Imperial Seal, yet now he claid our presence here was unrelated to the Imperial Family? It was an absurd excuse nobody would accept.
At this point, the other party had no choice but to take a firr stance.
Taking a step forward, both n pleaded in earnest.
“Please understand our position just this once. We’re simply following orders from above.”
It was an appeal ant to stir sympathy.
Such was the plight of those caught in the middle—pushed from one side to get things done and blocked by the other refusing to comply.
Even I felt a fleeting sense of pity for them.
Sir Reynold, however, remained completely unmoved.
“Isn’t that your problem? I’m saying this again, the Empire will not hold the Holy Nation accountable for this.”
“But...”
The conversation was going in circles. Left unchecked, this back-and-forth could go on until sunrise.
Eventually, I had no choice but to step in.
Lowering my voice as much as possible, I asked,
“So, all the Holy Nation asks is that you escort us?”
“Pardon? Yes... t-that is correct, but—”
Imdiately afterward,
I bent my knees slightly, lowering my stance as my breathing slowed. Then a sword shot forward, slicing through the sluggish air.
Like a streak of light—or a perfect straight line.
However you chose to describe it, it didn’t even take a split second for my blade to reach the Holy Knight’s throat.
Instinctively, the Holy Knight flinched, but by then, it was already too late.
Once more, an indifferent voice escaped my lips.
“...Even now?”
Only then did emotion return to the face of the dazed Holy Knight.
First, bewildernt. Then, fear. And finally, anger.
He, too, was a seasoned warrior who had trained rigorously for years. There was no way he would simply let such provocation slide.
And, as expected, my prediction was soon proven right.
The Holy Knight sharply twisted his head aside. The tip of my sword grazed his throat, leaving behind a thin red line on his skin.
Taking a step forward, he closed the distance and drove a punch towards .
Had I attempted to swing my sword now, it would have been over. Of course, such a tactic was impossible in real combat, but this was the Holy Nation’s garrison.
There was no chance I could take the Holy Knight’s life here.
It was a brilliant response—if my skill had been even slightly inferior.
My sword was knocked upward and was sent spinning into the air. As the blade twirled, my newly freed arm imdiately lashed out, sweeping outward to hook around the knight’s elbow.
And with a sharp burst of force, I threw him.
Before his punch could even land, his body flipped over midair, accompanied by the ominous cracking sound of joints.
Thud. As the impact reverberated from the ground, my sword—which had briefly soared upwards—began to fall back toward .
Catching it was the role of my remaining free hand.
Letting out a steady breath, I calmly straightened myself. The remaining Holy Knight’s expression had long since frozen rigid.
I had just one question to ask.
“Can we leave now?”
The remaining Holy Knight glanced briefly at his companion, who lay groaning on the ground. Frustration clearly flickered across his face, but the difference in our skill was undeniable.
We had no need for an escort.
Could there be a more effective thod of persuasion than this?
As a knight of the Holy Nation, he must have felt humiliated. But at this mont, there was no other choice. With a trembling voice, the Holy Knight reluctantly squeezed out an answer.
“...You may leave.”
Without hesitation, I turned and started walking away. Sir Reynold naturally followed behind , and before long, a faint chuckle escaped from him.
“You’ve beco quite the impressive man.”
“I wasn’t always like this...”
A bitter smile rose to my lips involuntarily. The stronger I beca, the more I relied on violence, and that was becoming a problem.
Issues that could be solved through dialogue should be handled that way.
But it seed Sir Reynold’s philosophy was quite the opposite.
“Force, too, is one of the more excellent ans of communication. Letting one’s weapon rot is not the way of a warrior.”
“That sounds like sothing Senior Elsie would say too... and that’s kind of terrifying.”
“Naturally. That child carries the blood of the Rinella family, after all... Haha, you should keep that in mind. When you have children, shouldn’t they inherit the Rinella na?”
A deep sigh slipped through my teeth. To think I was already being lectured about how to raise my future children....
I responded with slight irritation.
“If that’s how it’s going to be, I’d rather pass on the Percus family na instead.”
“Hmm, that wouldn’t be too bad either... but doesn’t our family need an heir as well?”
In the past, I would have undoubtedly been treated as a son-in-law marrying into their family.
But now, even when suggesting passing on the Percus na, there was little resistance. It spoke volus about my now elevated status—but at the sa ti, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
In the end, noble marriages were like this.
Nothing more than transactional relationships. My relationship with Senior Elsie was far more genuine than that.
Traveling with Sir Reynold ca with so burdens, but on the other hand, it also brought about gains I had hoped for.
“Have you been here before?”
I asked, after having moved so distance from the garrison.
He proceeded to bend down, pinching a bit of the strangely darkened soil. Then, rubbing it between his fingers, he even went so far as to sniff it.
At a glance, it was a ridiculous sight, yet his expression remained utterly serious.
Contrary to my expectations, Sir Reynold answered without hesitation.
“It was quite a long ti ago. Back when I was still a rcenary.”
“Was this place like this even back then?”
My eyes briefly scanned the surroundings. It was flat, empty land with soil so unnaturally black that it felt eerie.
And then there was the ground itself—disturbingly soft, offering no firmness. Every step left a sunken imprint behind.
It was a thoroughly unpleasant place.
Most people who visited this place would likely share the sa impression as I did.
“No, it wasn’t like this before. This happened shortly after the mass outbreak of demonic beasts began. Back then, there were still lush forests and green adows. But now, not a trace remains.”
“So you were here for a demonic beast subjugation.”
From the information given, I arrived at the most logical conclusion. Sir Reynold did not deny my deduction.
“Did you ever hear why I quit being a rcenary?”
“Wasn’t it because Count Rinella ca looking for you? Eventually, you were swayed by his persuasion...”
Sir Reynold remained silent, rubbing the soil between his fingers over and over.
By now, darkness had settled over the world. The heavy, stagnant air weighed heavily on our breaths.
In this land where life had vanished, only silence remained.
Even the sound of breathing felt unnervingly loud.
“I was stubborn back then. Even if my brother personally ca for , I had no intention of giving in. I still had so unfinished business.”
His words were steeped in deep regret.
It was the first ti I realized Sir Reynold was capable of such a range of emotions. His blue eyes were blankly wandering through so distant past.
“I needed revenge.”
“...Revenge?”
“Yes. Revenge for my comrades. Right here—this is where most of my companions died.”
My eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Sir Reynold was an Archmage. I didn’t know if he’d been equally skilled back in his rcenary days, but he had to have been at least as powerful as Senior Elsie was currently. Yet his rcenary group was nearly wiped out?
Perhaps they had simply been unlucky, encountering an exceptionally powerful demonic beast. But if sothing had been strong enough to wipe out an elite rcenary group in an instant, its threat level would have been beyond imagination.
It certainly wasn’t sothing a squad or two of Holy Knights could handle. A full-scale military operation would have been necessary to ensure its complete eradication.
Without thinking, I found myself denying Sir Reynold’s words.
“That can’t be right. If such a powerful demonic beast had existed...”
“That’s exactly what everyone else said—that we must have been mistaken. In reality, the demonic beasts that attacked us were the sa ones that commonly inhabited this area. The only difference was... they were unnervingly intelligent and unbelievably ferocious.”
With those words, Sir Reynold slowly straightened himself, his gaze still fixed on the specks of soil clinging to his hands.
“But no one believed . Years passed without anything similar happening, and to be honest, I was growing tired. Maybe that’s why I ended up returning to my family.”
“Then why co back now...?”
“I thought I’d forgotten about it. But strangely enough, lately, mories of that day keep coming back.”
A grinding sound ca from his clenched teeth. Sir Reynold’s expression twisted, contorting to the point of sothing almost tragic.
“And now, I finally rembered.... That day, I definitely saw a girl.”
“A girl? What are you talking about... in a place swarming with demonic beasts?”
“Yes.”
Sir Reynold’s gaze suddenly snapped forward, his deep blue eyes flickering with a quiet yet unmistakable fire.
“I clearly rember her long black hair fluttering in the wind.... That child... she was laughing. And her eyes, her eyes—!”
Suddenly, his eyes widened and darted past , fixing on sothing behind my back.
My gaze instinctively followed his, but there was nothing there. Only an inexplicable breeze softly brushed past us.
“...Did you see that?”
“No... nothing at all.”
At this distance, there was no way sothing could have approached without noticing its presence.
I was just about to reassure Sir Reynold, telling him he was simply being too on edge—
But at that very mont, a streak of jet-black hair passed by, leaving behind a long trail.
Far behind Sir Reynold.
My lightning-fast reflexes kicked in, and before I even realized it, my sword was already in my grip.
Sir Reynold and I cautiously moved closer, standing back-to-back, guarding each other’s blind spots—a basic tactic to counter an unpredictable enemy.
“Nephew-in-law, I think I heard laughter.”
“Sir Reynold, now’s really not the ti for scary jokes...”
And then—Pfft—a clear, faint chuckle rang out.
My head whipped around in search of the source, but not a single shadow of a person was in sight. Instead, what greeted was an even greater sense of unease.
The ground was trembling.
With the ground rumbling beneath us, I turned toward Sir Reynold with a troubled expression.
And Mr. Reyonold....
He wore an expression so blank, it was almost terrifying.
“It’s just like back then.”
“What do you an ‘back then’—surely you don’t an...?”
Before I could even finish voicing my suspicion—
A piercing shriek split the earth as sothing burst forth.
It was, quite literally, a worm the size of a house. Its mouth was grotesquely large, yet it had nothing that could be called a face—only a gaping entrance to a monstrous pillar of flesh.
And it wasn’t just one or two.
One after another, worms continued to surge upward, their numbers quickly exceeding what I could count on one hand.
Their small, narrow beastly eyes locked onto Sir Reynold and .
Their intent was unmistakable. Far too calculated for re beasts acting on instinct.
After a mont of tense silence, Sir Reynold finally spoke.
“...How long can you hold them off?”
Clenching my teeth, I channeled aura into my sword.
“Until I die!”
Thus began a midnight waltz.
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