chapter 123
* * *
“ha… … .”
Philip sighed at Jack’s reaction, laughing.
‘It’s like this in the end.’
Aileen Denbrough opened her eyes wide as if she couldn’t comprehend the current situation and pulled out her sword. Philip knew that Laughing Jack was a strong man who could wipe out at least one branch of the Knights Templar if he put his mind to it.
Unlike knights fighting demons, people from the underworld like Laughing Jack fought humans with all sorts of bizarre skills.
Assassins, banished sorcerers, knights who committed crimes and escaped. And those who belong to groups whose identities cannot be revealed to others.
There was no way that he, who had become one of the strongest in the world to which such people belonged, was weak.
What is certain is that he was the strongest in this position. At least that would be the case if Philip didn’t reveal everything. Philip silently drew his sword and blocked his way.
“You know who I am and you want to stop me, young man?”
Philip shook his head at Jack’s smile.
“I have no intention of risking my life for a student who does not respect me. It just happened because I was still young and inexperienced, so I thought maybe I could show some mercy rather than be too harsh like the others.”
“Why should I?”
Philip let out a small sigh as if he couldn’t help it.
“Because if I really want to do something here, I have no choice but to fight you. That’s a bit unprofitable.”
“… okay?”
Laughing Jack let out an empty laugh and then raised his life. Then everyone around except Philip reflexively shrank. My body reacted on its own because I was living too thickly.
Eileen Denbrough only then realized what kind of person she had touched, and her face turned pale.
‘This… Nonsense.’
But even with such a reaction, Laughing Jack was not satisfied. It was because Philip stood there with his expression unchanged.
“I was not a cheeky young man. You have the right to open your mouth. But to ask for something from me, you must yield something too. Do you agree?”
“Is there anything you want from me?”
“I’ll tell you about that later. let’s do this That cheeky young lady will soon be receiving visits from my men, and I plan to send them three times in total. Even if you catch me twice, I’ll just let you go. If I can block just one out of three times, I’ll make this a no-brainer. But if you get caught all three times… .”
Philip licked his lips at Jack’s suggestion.
“What do you do? I guess my role ends here anyway.”
“Then see you later. young people.”
Jack said that and turned around and started walking. When the knights of the royal knights gathered in the yard tried to step forward, Philip held out his hand to stop them.
“Stop it. Even if I go anyway, I won’t be able to catch it.”
Even though Philip naturally led the situation, the knights, who were stunned by the laughing Jack’s spirit, could not open their mouths.
That was until Diana Farrenhal, who was watching the situation, opened her mouth.
“… Who are you? It was the first time in my life that I felt the momentum.”
“If I don’t tell you now, it’s okay to live without knowing for the rest of your life. One of the nobility of the night. Well, anyway, I think our business is over, so let’s go back.”
“… yes?”
Diana tilted her head. She didn’t know what Philip was talking about.
“It is out of our hands. If you want to protect Aileen Denbrough, you’ll have to become a head professor, so all that’s left is to go back and report.”
“ruler… Wait a minute, what are you talking about… ?”
Eileen Denbrough hurriedly stepped forward. She couldn’t even comprehend what was going on. Philip looked at her with a sad expression on his face.
“It bothers me to go on like this, so let me give you some advice. Tell your grandfather not to leave his side in the future. Not even for a moment, not even for ten seconds. If the Countess of Denbrough really cares about you, you should be able to hold out for a few years. If you’re really lucky, you might be able to spot an attack and avoid it at least once.”
“A raid? who? Who is attacking me?”
“I don’t know. Anyway, do your best.”
Philip left the Knights branch holding Diana’s hand.
“Can I help you? It doesn’t seem like it’s going this way.”
Diana expressed displeasure.
“There is nothing I can do to help. It’s just a matter of luck that he listened to me there. Perhaps that child will spend the rest of his life at the headquarters of the Royal Knights or in a secret location in some mage tower. If it wasn’t for that kind of place, we couldn’t stop the invasion of the Master Assassin.”
Diana’s eyes widened at Philip’s words.
“Master Assassin… what… ?”
“Actually, I’m glad I could get there. Report it to the head professor and he will take care of it.”
* * *
Upon returning to the academy, Philip and Diana immediately visited the head professor.
“… What novel is that again? What did Eileen Denbrough do?”
Emile Panoy had no choice but to jump out of his chair at Philip’s report. It was an accident that could have happened only when coincidence coincided with coincidence.
“A big man like that was eating alone at that time, and Aileen was passing by and arrested him? Instructor Oswald, Instructor Diana. I love you very much, but you have to be a professor to joke with me. You guys are still early.”
Looking at the head professor escaping from reality, Philip sighed.
“I wish it was a joke. Head Professor.”
The head professor trembled nervously. This was a big deal for him too.
“Laughing Jack is someone I know. How the hell am I supposed to offend a big crowd like that? Anyway, you did pretty well. Is there a second chance?”
“I must have been caught by now. Jack I hope he doesn’t treat you too badly.”
“Eileen Denbrough is the granddaughter of the Royal Knight Commander. Could she really be kidnapped?”
When Diana, unable to contain her curiosity, asked, Emil Panoy clicked her tongue and nodded.
“You don’t know, but the power of the Royal Knights won’t work on those who are called ‘nobles of the night’. Unless the Earl of Denbrough is crazy enough to trade the security of his kingdom for the safety of his granddaughter.”
Those who knew the situation and those who did not know it were bound to take the incident from different angles. Only then did Diana realize that something truly absurd had happened.
“Perhaps the Royal Knight Commander will ask the academy for help.”
At Philip’s words, the head professor nodded.
“It’s not like we have a sharp way. Unless the dean directly steps forward. However, the dean left to help the mages campaigning in the north. This must be done by the Earl of Denbrough himself. Whether you go find Laughing Jack and get down on his knees or give him a blow, you will pay the price for raising your granddaughter the wrong way. I bet Laughing Jack wouldn’t kill a little girl just for making him angry.”
“It is really unfortunate.”
Philip, who was of the same opinion as the head professor, sighed in agreement with his words.
‘That’s why I’m a bit messy.’
* * *
‘Are you trying to make fun of me?’
Eileen Denbrough trembled in fear as she bit her nails.
Because of her, the knights of the branch stopped all their work and were put on escort missions. Eileen hid in a secret room on the top floor of the branch building to escape her impending fate.
Her shooter, Lawr Fischeck, let out a deep sigh. As always, I just let her stubbornness go, but I never imagined that it would lead to such a big incident.
“I’ve sent a letter to Lord Denbrough, so he’ll be back here soon. He will protect you.”
A knight was about to set off on the fastest horse.
“… Who the hell is this Laughing Jack?”
As Eileen muttered, Lawr Fischeck replied.
“The vice-captain said he was a very famous tycoon in the underworld. I am one of those who control and oppress all kinds of criminals who lurk in the darkness of the night.”
He stared at Eileen’s blue hair, his head down, for a moment, then bent down to meet her at eye level.
“This is your fault, but it is also my fault. I usually let you do as you please.”
Lawler Fischeck was one of the Earl of Denbrough’s henchmen. He volunteered to stay by Eileen’s side in this branch, and controlled Eileen’s behavior to a minimum.
“What does that matter now? Anyway, things happened. Until Grandpa comes, stay by my side.”
At Aileen’s request, Lawr Fischeck smiled and answered.
“… I guess it’s already too late for that?”
The sudden change of voice and tone. A startled Eileen Denbrough raised her head when she heard a completely different voice from his serious and caring voice.
Then there was a man she had never seen before, not her shooter.
“… Who are you?”
It was a face without personality. Aileen shuddered and swallowed at the man’s gaze as if he were looking at an inorganic substance.
“I’ll see you two more times, so I’ll tell you later. miss. Sleep well for now.”
At the same time as the man said that, Eileen Denbrough felt an unbearable level of drowsiness overtake her. I couldn’t open my mouth to say anything or resist.
“ah… ah… .”
Soon, her vision darkened.
When she came back to her senses, she found her limbs restrained by a cross-shaped frame.
“… female… Where is it?”
In the dark room, only candles lit the surroundings, and through the dim light, all she could see was someone wearing a thin fabric hood. There were only eye sockets in the black hood, and dark eyes leaked through them.
“hi. miss. welcome to my studio nice to meet you.”
It was the voice of a young woman. Aileen struggled with all her strength, but she couldn’t budge from how tightly she was bound.
“Release this! Who are you? Do you know who I am?”
“I know, I know very well. You’ll be the most precious body I’ve ever dealt with. Calm down. I have no idea what I want to do here right now. The godfather told me that it would be a pity to just let him go after he got caught, so he told me to let him know in advance what will happen to him when he gets caught at the end?”
As soon as the woman clapped her hands, the surroundings brightened. Eileen Denbrough, who turned her head to check her surroundings while being restrained, panicked and twisted her body as hard as she could.
It was because I could see all sorts of instruments of torture arranged neatly on several shelves.
“I’ll show you one by one and explain. This is a saw used to cut animal bones, but I don’t think this one will be used on a lady. It’s a precious body, so even if I cut off the limbs, I have to clean them up so that they can be reattached. So I’ll probably cut it with this small head. Oh, does this look strange? As for what this is for… You put the lady’s neck in here and turn this device like this?”
The woman with her face covered held up the instruments of torture one by one and showed them to Eileen, explaining, and Eileen Denbrough almost half-cryed in a frightened frenzy.
“I think you guys will be all right! Release this right now! Solve it!”
“You have an impatient personality. I’ll finish the explanation and let you go. Be patient. huh? Look at this. this. Doesn’t this look a bit strange too? I put this in a dirty place now and use it to inflate my stomach… .”
The woman continued to explain without being shaken at all.
Eileen was released after two hours.