How to Live as a Knight After the Ending

Chapter 257: Traces of the Abandoned (1)

Lorraine, armed, returned to where Lucent was.

She was worried that someone might have kidnapped Lucent while she was away.

“You’re here?”

It was Edgar who greeted Lorraine.

And in the corner of the room, Lucent peeked his head out, appealing that he was safe.

“Looks like that side is over too.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t difficult at all.”

Lorraine tried to show off a bit. In truth, it wasn’t really showing off, as dealing with the Bullet Master wasn’t actually difficult.

In her past, she would have struggled considerably. Perhaps she might have been killed by the first surprise attack from the Bullet Master.

However, after several real battles, Lorraine had regained her prime sense, including the painful memories of that day.

Whether she intended it or not, Lorraine ultimately ended up living a life where she couldn’t put down her gun.

Although she found this somewhat bitter, she deliberately didn’t show it.

“More importantly, where’s Osian?”

“He’s waiting outside. Looks like he intends to block everything by himself.”

Lorraine peeked her head out past the hole-riddled wall to check the outside situation.

A knight wearing a fluttering white cape was standing, and those in front of him were in a standoff, not knowing what to do.

“Wow, my goodness.”

It was a scene that even Lorraine couldn’t help but admire, unconsciously muttering to herself.

“Has Diolan not come back yet?”

“Not yet.”

“That’s unexpected. He went out after taking off his boots, and he still hasn’t returned. Something serious might have happened.”

“Maybe.”

Edgar’s emotionless response made Lorraine furrow her brow.

“Wait, if that’s the case, shouldn’t we go help him now? Are we just going to stay here?”

“Have you forgotten our commission? We just need to protect this coward. And if we drag out time, we’ll win. So why take unnecessary risks?”

“But Diolan…”

“If he hasn’t returned yet, something must have happened. But I don’t think he’d die or be in danger from something like that.”

Lorraine calmed down from Edgar’s composed response.

“You’re right. I might trust him too little.”

“Good that you understand.”

“But while pretending not to, you actually trusted Diolan quite a bit, right? You didn’t help me because you trusted me? Right?”

“I just calculated that you wouldn’t lose. It’s not that I trusted you.”

“That’s basically trusting us.”

Lorraine chuckled softly. She knew Edgar was saying this out of embarrassment.

Of course, that fond expression quickly disappeared when Edgar glared at her.

At that moment, Lorraine and Edgar’s gazes simultaneously turned to one spot.

Beyond the corridor, they saw darkness approaching with a chilling atmosphere.

Lorraine and Edgar unconsciously prepared for battle, then realized it wasn’t an enemy and relaxed their guard.

The darkness, or shadow, sliding along the ground stopped in front of an old, placed boot.

The darkness was drawn into the boot. The massive darkness soon transformed into a human shape.

Finally returned to his original form, Diolan was questioned by Lorraine.

“You’re unusually late. What happened? Did something go wrong?”

Lorraine realized Diolan’s expression was not good, unlike usual.

Though late, she thought he had handled things properly, but his expression suggested otherwise.

“I happened to encounter an unpleasant connection here.”

Diolan’s answer was brief, but Lorraine and Edgar, knowing his circumstances, could sufficiently deduce its meaning.

“What kind of deal were the Saint Tree board members trying to make?”

“Believed to be a group but I don’t know exactly who. The only thing I can know is that the person I was looking for is in that group.”

“Mother Goose…Could she actually be here right now?!”

Mother Goose is a famous witch.

Her ability to create and handle familiars might seem unremarkable at first glance.

However, the familiars she created each possessed tremendous power.

The famous anecdote of the familiar ‘Giant Bonaparte’ created by Mother Goose sweeping away an entire country’s army is well-known.

Considering he was a special familiar, the fact that several similar-level familiars exist cannot be denied.

The witch [Mother Goose] possessed the power to overthrow a nation as an individual.

More importantly, her danger lay in her nature.

She would sometimes do good deeds even for street beggars, but she would also commit mass massacres.

She was unpredictable chaos.

Due to the scale of incidents she caused, most countries were keeping a close eye on the witch [Mother Goose].

Now that she has disappeared, people thought she was hiding somewhere in Tirna but to encounter her traces in a place like this.

“Any information? Did you contact them?”

“I did contact them. But I couldn’t obtain proper information.”

Recalling the fight with the amphibian human, Diolan frowned.

Not just because of the enemy’s dirty fighting methods, but because he had shown his own self to such an enemy.

“Still, opportunities remain. The overseas corporate person trying to deal with William Lee. Among them, the leader is still here. I fought one of the two escorts.”

“That means the leader and one escort remain. Wouldn’t they flee now that things have gone wrong?”

“They probably won’t.”

Just as Lorraine was about to ask why he was so certain, a massive explosion sounded from far away.

The noise came from where Osian was blocking the way, and Lorraine immediately understood the situation upon hearing it.

“Seems so.”

“Yeah. When I overheard their conversation, this deal seemed absolutely necessary.”

“That means they can’t avoid conflict.”

Everyone approached the broken wall.

Outside, Osian in armor was confronting someone.

*

Osian stood at the entrance to the research building, blocking the enemies’ invasion.

Though the number of Saint Tree guards was far greater, their spirit was not.

They had seen Osian fight and defeat Calios.

Having single-handedly defeated Calios, who could generate a localized typhoon, his strength was proven.

Rashly charging would mean certain death.

Aware of this, they were stuck in an extended standoff but the one who ended that standoff was a man wearing a pure white robe and a mask.

He immediately charged towards Osian upon appearing and the guards watching the scene were startled.

The man drew a sword hidden in his robe and swung it at Osian.

It was an ornate scimitar decorated with brilliant jewels.

-Clang!

Osian easily blocked it. Or so he thought.

By some unknown power, Osian was forced back two steps.

“Who are you?”

There was no answer. The white mask charged at Osian again, swinging the scimitar skillfully.

“You’re not going to answer?”

Osian swung his own sword in return. They crossed blades, measuring each other’s strength.

The speed was so fast that those watching couldn’t even follow with their eyes.

After their blades brilliantly collided, Osian put force into his legs and swung his sword widely.

The starlight clinging to the sword seemed ready to slice through the scimitar’s owner entirely.

At that moment, the blue jewel on the scimitar flashed brightly, and a massive shockwave collided with the starlight.

With an tremendous roar, the masked man was flung backward.

After twirling the scimitar once, the masked man took his stance. His actions alone seemed to provoke Osian, as if nothing had happened.

Osian laughed slightly at this.

“Let me see that face of yours.”

No sooner had those words fallen than a sharp sound rang out, and the mask split apart.

Beyond the mask on the ground, a blue beard flowed.

“…How dare you.”

The man, Blue Beard, seemed outraged that his mask had been destroyed, glaring intensely.

He appeared quite noble. If they had met elsewhere, one might have believed him to be a foreign aristocrat.

However, the murderous intent in his bulging eyes suggested otherwise. Just looking at the scimitar wielding an ominous power, he was clearly not an ordinary human.

“Not a magician, not a mana user, not a mutant. What exactly are you?”

“A familiar.”

It was Diolan who answered Osian’s question.

Landing lightly beside Osian, Diolan’s gaze was fixed on Blue Beard.

“Did you handle things well?”

“This guy is related to that matter.”

“Considering you just said ‘familiar’, is he one of them too?”

“A familiar of the witch [Mother Goose]. I don’t know the others, but I remember this guy. Isn’t that right, Blue Beard?”

The familiar of Mother Goose, Blue Beard.

He glared at Diolan, his blue beard writhing.

“A cat. I wondered who it was, but it’s you. The fact that you’re alive means that guy is dead, right?”

Diolan just shrugged in response.

Not just dead. If they saw the scene, they’d be quite shocked. The guy was torn into pieces so small that no traces could be identified, scattered throughout the conference room.

“I never expected to meet you in a place like this.”

“I feel the same. Not particularly pleasant, but somewhat welcome in another sense.”

Diolan’s pupils split vertically.

“Tell me. Where is she?”

“Heh. Would I tell you? You’re going to die here anyway.”

Blue Beard looked back at the Saint Tree agents gathered behind him.

“What are you all doing? Hurry up and take them down.”

“W-what are you…?”

“Is this really the time to be asking that? Time is running out. Are you going to sit idle and lose everything? Or are you going to wipe out those guys over there?”

The cold words of Blue Beard forced the guards to make a choice.

In truth, there was no real choice. Their roles were already set.

The guards readjusted their weapons and put on determined expressions.

They were workers paid by Saint Tree but more than half of them didn’t know what the board members had done.

Even if they knew, they would have sided with them. Simply because they were being paid. Such a simple reason.

Blue Beard stood at the forefront with a triumphant face.

The jewel in his scimitar shone brilliantly.

“Be careful. His sword is special.”

“I already know from being hit by it just now.”

“Aren’t we at a numerical disadvantage? Fighting in such an open space seems difficult.”

Just as Diolan said.

If they were barricading inside the research building it might be different, but right now Osian and Diolan were completely exposed outside.

“I want to say we should retreat now, but that seems impossible.”

Blue Beard would never let that happen.

Diolan sighed and spoke.

“You stay back. I’ll handle this.”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“If this incident is related to her, this is a problem I must solve. Especially since I need to hear a lot from that guy.”

Osian looked back at Diolan. This wasn’t just idle talk. He was seriously thinking of taking them all on by himself.

“Then I can’t possibly retreat. If it’s related to you, then it concerns me too.”

“You…”

“And those two behind us are probably thinking the same thing.”

Diolan turned back. Lorraine and Edgar were also prepared to fight, not planning to flee.

Seeing this, Diolan let out a small laugh.

“Then I guess we have no choice. I’ll provide support.”

“Don’t mistake this. I’m the main, and you’re support.”

“Oh, really. You’re doing this suddenly?”

When Osian, proud in battle, spoke this way, Diolan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

Blue Beard frowned at their pointless exchange.

As wrinkles formed on his bulging face, his expression became even more fierce.

“You four are going to block us? Your liver must be seriously swollen.”

“It’s not just four.”

The response came from elsewhere.

Blue Beard’s head turned upward.

A shadow appeared in the sky, and then an old man landed beside Osian and Diolan.

Despite falling from a high place, not a single sound of footsteps could be heard.

“It’s good to see young people arguing about who yields. This must be youth.”

The newly appeared person was someone Osian knew.

The executor of Tirna, Sestain.

Feeling he had made a cool entrance and feeling proud, Sestain was met with Osian’s sharp retort.

“You’re way too late old man.”