How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

22

As the battle with Rowe continued, the troll’s attention drifted further away from Rohan.

Considering the troll’s size, Rowe’s blade might have seemed small, but to the troll, who had felt the sting of that small blade multiple times, it was a natural choice.

And finally, as Rohan’s presence dimmed and nearly vanished.

The troll completely turned towards Rowe, exposing its vulnerable back to Rohan.

In that moment, as Rohan, who had been crouching, leaped with all his might.

“The Strike of the Warrior King.”

Upon using the skill, his body’s energy swiftly drained, yet the body that leaped once did not falter weakly.

It was due to the significantly increased aura from the newly acquired technique and elevated skill proficiency.

Rohan’s overflowing vitality burned as fervor, channeling the power through the aura flowing within the blade.

Two distinct powers intertwined within the blade.

When the power held by the blade reached its peak, Rohan raised the blade above the troll’s back.

Realizing his mistake in the midst of the burning power surge, the troll attempted to turn, but it was already too late.

By the time the creature sensed the danger, Rohan had firmly grasped the hilt with both hands, driving the sharp blade into the troll’s green skin.

The blade, a fusion of two mysteries, pierced through the thick monster’s body in an instant, the sharp tip protruding from the center of its chest, spewing green liquid.

“Kweeek!”

The monster, shaking its body mercilessly from the unexpected pain, but Rohan, rejuvenated by the blessing of breath, did not retreat easily.

Sensing the remnants of power clinging to the blade, he leaped onto the troll’s back, striking down as if wielding a hammer, stepping on the blade’s hilt.

A sensation akin to cutting tough flesh rose from his toes.

As the wound on the chest widened, the troll, overwhelmed by the surging pain and imminent danger of death, displayed convulsive movements.

The sudden massive hemorrhage completely paralyzed the creature’s senses and clouded its wariness towards Rowe.

Its gaze chased Rohan in a frenzy.

And the knight, Rowe, did not miss that opportunity.

The blue light that had been intertwined with Rowe’s blade now intensified.

Rowe, pouring all his strength and aura into the blade, made a significant leap.

Dimmed by agony and bleeding, the troll noticed it a bit late, and that slight delay sealed the troll’s fate.

The hand reaching for Rowe trembled, grasping at empty air, as the blade infused with aura touched the monster’s neck.

The troll, with its neck deeply severed, lurched forward.

With more than half of its head severed, the writhing body posed no threat without the command-giving head.

Leaving the deceased creature behind, Rohan and Rowe moved towards their next target.

The trolls had displayed formidable power, yet the tide drastically shifted after Rowe and Rohan jointly slew one of them.

The viscount, who saw them trying to divide and conquer, shouted loudly, “Stick together for now! Take down that troll first!”

“Understood!”

Both of them knew it was the rational choice, but they couldn’t abandon their lord, so they chose this course of action.

But now that the viscount’s orders had been given, there was no reason to hesitate.

While the viscount inflicted wounds on the troll’s body, Row and Adam, along with Rohan, quickly brought down the remaining one.

One of them, half-trapped in a net, faced the three users and could do nothing but accept their imminent death without resistance.

The last troll was in an even worse situation.

Unable to flee at this point, it could only scream in agony as it endured the onslaught from all directions.

After a brief struggle, the one who had suffered a fatal blow finally ceased movement.

As the viscount raised his sword in victory at the confirmation of the troll’s death, the soldiers were about to cheer but were quickly restrained by the knights.

It was natural to be happy, but after such a fierce battle and victory, there was no need to cheer and attract other creatures.

The soldiers, realizing the fight was over, relaxed their grip on their weapons.

“You all did well. Take care of the fallen comrades’ bodies, report any damaged equipment to the quartermasters. Knights, dismantle the troll with Rohan.”

After issuing orders and showing approval, the viscount patted the knights on the shoulder and left.

Looking in the direction, it seemed he was heading to soothe the startled Sophia.

“Thankfully, not many died, should I say?”

Rohan mumbled to himself as he gazed at the chaotic road strewn with blood and corpses.

Considering they were up against such a massive creature, the number of casualties was relatively low, but the fallen were recently laughing and chatting comrades.

They had occasionally met during guard duty shifts, exchanged small talk during training.

Rohan couldn’t bring himself to feel entirely happy.

“Rohan, come here quickly.”

Startled, Rohan snapped out of his daze at Row’s call.

He was holding a knife different from the one usually at his waist, a short, curved blade suitable for the butchering task.

As the viscount had mentioned, it seemed they were to dismantle the troll.

Though Rohan wondered why a knight would be tasked with this, Row explained without being asked.

“Well, it’s dirty and smelly, but it’s a principle that the one who kills a monster should butcher it. It’s recommended under the guise of earning the honor of killing the beast, but there’s a separate reason. The skin and flesh of these monsters are very tough. Even ordinary soldiers would find it difficult to handle, as it’s tough to cut all day long, with many areas being hard to penetrate.”

Therefore, monster butchering was considered an essential skill for knights.

How painful would it be if the hard-earned spoils lost their value in someone else’s hands?

Of course, for nobles, the story was different, but in any case, an average knight, after killing such a large monster, would likely take on the butchering task themselves.

“Not everything is good about being a knight.”

Although Rohan had not yet received his knighthood, with the viscount’s indirect order, he could assist in dismantling the troll following Row’s advice.

Of course, Row had no qualms about teaching Rohan.

Having fought alongside him, being the viscount’s disciple, and with his own talents, Rohan was undoubtedly a promising candidate to become a knight soon.

Given his excellent character, this assistance would surely be repaid someday.

Taking these factors into account, Row’s teachings were much kinder and clearer compared to the masters of this era.

However, that didn’t mean the butchering task would be easy.

After emptying the jars that once held wine, they filled them with blood.

Then they began the process of skinning the creature, which was not only challenging from the start but also close to being grueling.

I had to lift the large and heavy body several times, and blood flowed freely when I wielded the knife, staining my arms entirely.

Moreover, due to the bulky frame and tough flesh, the knife didn’t cut easily.

In some areas, it seemed necessary to encircle the flesh to slice it smoothly, making me understand why knights went through this process.

Yet, stripping the skin seemed much better compared to harvesting the organs.

First, I had to remove the heart and liver.

They were quite valuable as ingredients for magic and alchemy.

I gripped and pulled the ribs apart, opening a gap, then rummaged through the wriggling entrails to find the heart and liver.

The sight was so filled with blood, stench, and repulsiveness that it was unbearable, but Row, who was demonstrating, seemed nonchalant, as if he was already accustomed to it.

Next, I had to search through the entrails to find any possible mana stones.

Although it was not a usual process unless dealing with a particularly strong specimen, he added that it was part of the learning process for a beginner.

“Just learning roughly should be fine…”

Watching all sorts of animal remains popping out, Rowan muttered to himself in his mind, feeling like a top predator.

Of course, unable to reject the offered guidance, he obediently followed Row’s instructions outwardly.

“Hmm?”

Row, who had been examining the entrails, suddenly paused with a hint of doubt, holding up a stick.

Suppressing the urge to curse, Rowan refocused his gaze, noticing a small white bead-like object caught on the stick from the guts of the beast.

“Could this be a mana stone?”

It was a bead emitting an unbelievably clean white light, making it hard to believe it came from the belly of a monster.

The surface was so clean and polished as if someone had crafted it, giving it an unnatural feel.

“No, it’s definitely not a mana stone… What is this?”

Row, who had been displaying his skill flawlessly until now, was taken aback for the first time.

Rowan gave Row a slightly suspicious look, and Row, realizing this, stood up abruptly, holding the bead and approaching the other knights.

“Sir Atum, have you ever seen something like this?”

Atum, after a brief surprise at the bead in Row’s hand, shook his head slightly.

“You found one too? Seems like this thing is quite common.”

Pointing to the right floor, Atum’s fingertips revealed three beads of the same shape Row was holding.

“What could this be?”

“Well, I don’t know what it is, but… I have a bad feeling about this. I’ve captured trolls many times, but I’ve never heard of such beads coming out.”

“What’s going on? Is there really a problem?”

With a stern expression, Rowan joined Atum, now frowning as he watched the two knights move towards the Marquis’s direction.

The longer Row took to return, the more prolonged the time he had to endure the gruesome sight and foul stench of troll entrails.

The urge to finish quickly and wash his hands overwhelmed Rowan every passing moment.

As Rowan was experiencing the pungent taste of butchery,

Sophia, after receiving the Marquis’s apologies and comfort to her heart’s content, was taking a break in the carriage.

“Miss, are you alright?”

“It was really terrifying. Wasn’t it?”

“Still, not shedding a tear, you’re truly remarkable.”

Once the Marquis confirmed Sophia had entered the carriage, he returned to his place, but the two maids who followed Sophia were still by her side, sticking close and fussing over her.

Some might call it mere formality, but these ladies had lived almost their entire lives within the castle walls.

People dying and becoming bloody food, or the existence of such a massive monster like me, they had only heard about it through the boasting of mercenaries, not knowing if it was true or not.

Being well aware of how full of hot air mercenaries could be, they were even more skeptical. However, the actual monster they saw was a terrifying being, enough to make one pee a little in their undergarments.

If those women safely made it back to Eisel Castle, they were sure to never think about traveling again.

But despite occasionally chiming in with the maids’ words, Sophia thought of something other than that dreadful sight.

A boy who faced legendary monsters without fear, seizing the moment to deliver a decisive blow, just like a leaping lion, the image of Rohan was deeply etched in Sophia’s mind, refusing to fade away.

“It’s unbelievable.”

Though still young, thanks to being born as a nobleman’s daughter, Sophia’s intellectual level, receiving systematic education, was not at all low.

Rumors had it she had just turned fifteen, and even if she possessed a physique beyond her age, it was hard to believe that a boy of her age, no matter how well-built, fought against such a monster.

“Truly remarkable.”

Her face, constantly in awe, had a hint of a rosy hue.