NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39
*Clang!*
Calion, who had been flying through the air with a corpse, plunged into the ground.
The body slipped down due to the impact of landing, revealing the grotesque sight of crushed flesh and dark red blood pouring out around it.
*Creak.*
After retrieving Calion and stripping the fallen knight of his belongings, I moved on.
“Not bad.”
The perfect coordination of throwing and retrieving it was truly satisfying. I had tried this experimental technique just in case, and the results were excellent.
The attack included the weapon’s original mass. To block such a throw, one would either need to be an extraordinary mana wielder defying common sense, or possess the skill to accurately gauge the center of gravity to deflect it.
“Even though the Eternal Lord’s divine sword is in the Captain’s possession, using it like this is… unheard of.”
Cruel’s voice was filled with disbelief.
Using a sword as a spear was indeed astonishing, especially since this wasn’t a regular longsword but an immense, thick weapon.
He lightly tapped my shoulder as he stared at Calion with wide eyes.
*Thump!*
“Guagh!”
“Still so amazed? Mana wielders are much stranger than this.”
While exchanging these brief words with a furrowed Cruel, I noticed a strained voice nearby.
“It… cannot be…”
I turned my head to see the quiet plain after the battle, where no sound of insects could be heard. The thick, hazy fog that had obscured our sense of direction was gradually fading, revealing the chaos that surrounded us.
A knight was rising from between overturned soil and piles of rocks.
“How… how could an ordinary person who hasn’t awakened to mana… Guah!”
Red liquid poured out from the knight’s helmet, blood flowing down the battered armor and broken fragments.
After spitting out a great deal of blood, the knight lifted his head.
The blue light was already gone.
As I approached him, a grinding metallic sound came from his throat.
“Nonsense. This… this is nonsense. What are you? Guah! What…!”
Instead of blue light, fiery eyes filled with complex emotions stared at me.
And a faint blue light flickered.
“Guuu…hah!”
*Shiiick! Thump!*
“GGGGHHHHHHH!!!”
A scream echoed across the silent misty plain. Calion was back on my shoulder after the fast strike.
“Feigning defeat to ambush me? Aren’t you ashamed?”
At the same instant, a metallic needle flew my way.
The faint mana imbued in the projectile reached my eyes in an instant, but…
“Prepping poison on it too, quite thorough preparation, aren’t you?”
I dropped the needle I had caught in my hand, and the liquid coating its tip stained the ground black.
The substance bubbling and corroding away indicated it was a highly potent toxin, though honestly, was it really poison? It felt more like it had strong acidic properties.
The knight who had lost his arm clutched it and convulsed with pain.
“Has the resistance ended, then?”
The knight didn’t reply to my question. It wasn’t that I expected an answer anyway and he was clearly in no condition to give one.
I roughly planted Calion nearby and gestured to Cruel.
Roughly lifting the helmet off a writhing knight, Cruel winced upon seeing the face underneath.
“Lord Remil.”
“Do you know him?”
“A brown, curly-haired individual. His pale face and hair are soaked in blood and sweat, messy beyond recognition. I’m familiar with the faces and names since mana wielders are rare. He’s a knight of Lord Libermus.”
“Lord Libermus?”
“A noble from the Western region.”
One from the Western faction then. So he’s a knight affiliated with the Western faction.
“Hmm.”
This journey southwards was announced with great fanfare, including the destination and our purposes, and we were accompanied by several individuals.
We deliberately moved with leisure, making it easy for anyone to track our movements.
That was quite intentional.
Come anytime. This is your last chance.
It was a message left to the central nobles linked to the crown agent, Panray, and Silvester.
The nobles outside were caught on minor offenses and given hints of rebellion to clear them out under the guise of a legitimate reason. But that kind of process wasn’t necessary for the central nobles.
These were the ones closest to Panray, and irrefutable evidence was present that couldn’t be easily brushed aside.
The evidence is in my hands, which also means it has fallen into the hands of the Empress.
“Seems you have no other choice but to come after me.”
Thus, I moved with a small group, and the ambush was somewhat expected.
“Mana wielders…”
No family amongst those we were dealing with had a mana wielder. Neither was the Libermus family connected to Panray.
“Knight commander Cruel, inspect the faces of the other two too. Try piecing together the one with the axe.”
“I understand.”
While Cruel examined the bodies, I crouched by Remil.
The mist covering the plain slowly descended to the ground, and the sunlight previously obstructed by the fog now shone directly on the plain.
My shadow covered the fallen Remil, and he slowly opened his eyes to the sensation.
Looking down at his somewhat vacant expression, I slowly began to speak.
“Knight of Lord Libermus, Remil. I’ll ask you one thing.”
Our eyes met. His gaze was weak.
“Why have you raised your sword against me?”
“…”
“Is it rebellion?”
Silently staring at me, Remil turned his head away. The silence was steadfast, his eyes closed firmly with the clear intent not to speak.
“Your silence won’t change the situation…”
I stopped speaking and reached out to Remil.
Turning his head aside, his squirming figure brought back memories of a familiar action.
“…Uhgh!”
I forcibly opened his mouth and examined the inside.
His tongue was already bitten to pieces, drowning in blood, but that wasn’t the focus.
“Tsk.”
Hiding poison in his mouth; is he even a proper knight?
It was similar behavior to the lackeys of some other lords I had encountered back in the territory war.
With their tactical value being high, mana-awakened knights usually had strong pride and self-respect.
Originally, the suggestion of being mere swordsmen would incite them to engage in duels immediately.
Coming for assassination in a group of three or committing seppuku upon defeat wasn’t the usual attitude of a typical knight-class mana wielder.
“I’ll figure out why now.”
Judging that by keeping silent and dying, he could cover his tracks, but that was impossible. I haven’t dealt with interrogations just once or twice.
After roughly sifting through his mouth for the poison and then searching his body for any other means, I tossed him back onto the ground. Cruel, who had quickly approached, bowed his head.
“I’ve finished the checks. The face of the axe-wielding knight is too damaged to confirm.”
I glanced at the knight pierced by Calion.
“This one is a knight of Bradden. His name is Garnes, the youngest knight amongst the mana wielders under Bradden’s command.”
“Ah, Bradden.”
The face of the middle-aged noble I had encountered during the selection event came to mind, as well as the distorted expression I saw briefly during the Duke appointment ceremony.
“Of course.”
A rough outline began to form in my mind, though precise details would only show once I investigated further.
“Attempting to use suspected rebels to assassinate me, was it, Norman Bradden?”
If the assassination succeeded, they likely intended to pin the blame on the nobles connected to Panray and seize all their interests.
However, it seems their learning capacity is lacking.
I’ve already demonstrated overwhelming strength capable of defeating a mana wielder like Aidan.
Seeing that, they should have sent someone with even greater martial prowess. These mere three mana wielders couldn’t achieve anything against me.
Especially now that I’ve acquired Calion.
With the exception of my master, there is no one in Altaine who can face me relying solely on mana, the mysterious force.
And sending along his own knights for the assassination was a reckless move indeed.
“Either he was that sure of my death, or…”
Mana wielders aren’t like common names.
During such times, if they could persuade three of them—high-ranking knights at that—then surely Bradden himself must have suffered significant casualties in the process.
Regardless, with the assassination having failed, their future is now predetermined.
“We can wrap this up cleanly.”
“Excuse me?”
Shaking my head at Cruel’s puzzled expression,
“Knight commander Cruel. Even if it’s a bit early, let me teach you the method of obtaining quality information.”
Cruel, realizing something, hurriedly approached me with a shocked expression.
“He’s already severely injured and damaged. Any further shock may cause his death.”
“It’s fine.”
Cruel usually had a composed demeanor, but now he was thoroughly alarmed. Just as he moved his mouth to speak, I gestured with my eyes and pointed at Remil with my finger.
“Mana wielders, especially those knights who have awakened, have endurance and vitality unmatched by any.”
Kicking the armor lightly twice caused blood-streaked saliva to spurt out.
“That proves his fortitude even after taking a fall in his armor and having his arm severed, and yet he’s still breathing normally.”
I wiped the blood-streaked saliva off my boot, then turned my head.
“Furthermore, the stubbornness of knight-class mana wielders falls into the category of superhuman. Hence, when dealing with someone like him, their spirit must be utterly broken. Beat them until they’re willing to have a conversation. That’s what I mean.”
At the same time as finishing my sentence, I grabbed the knight’s armor.
I balled my fists as I stared into his fiery eyes.
“Knight of Libermus, Remil. Speak when you’re ready.”
*Bang!*
I plunged my fist into his mouth just as he was about to spit.
*
“Steel trade… done… death…”
When that man started a conversation, Remil began divulging information willingly.
Summarizing the deals between Bradden and Libermus went like this.
Libermus was preparing for a territorial war with a neighboring noble, but was critically short of strategic materials. Bradden, then, proposed a deal.
Libermus would contribute a mana wielder to the assassination team targeting the duke, and in return, Bradden would supply materials, including steel.
In case of success, Bradden would send additional mana wielders to support Libermus in the territorial war.
That was why Remil ended up as an assassin.
“Knight commander Cruel. This is how one must deal thoroughly with a mana wielder. Did you observe carefully?”
“Yes… I understood.”
After roughly cleaning my hands with the water pouch handed to me, I spoke to Cruel, who also took the pouch.
“Let’s clean up and move again. It would’ve been convenient if we’d brought along a carriage for the bodies.”
After gathering items that could identify the knights and their money pouches, and tidying up the chaotic surroundings, it was then that I heard distant commotions.
Turning back at this unusual noise, I saw the horizon of the foggy plain as the sun began to set.
The heavy mist had entirely dissipated, revealing the barren landscape. There, heading towards us, was a suspicious group.
“Clearly not regular men.”
“Yeah. They don’t belong to any distinguishable faction. Their scale seems to be about company-sized… two groups.”
The direction of the small town of Varchen. They were rapidly advancing southward towards us.
No banners or badges to signify a military unit, but all were adequately armed.
They are certainly not ordinary bandits or thieves.
Subtle military precision could be detected in their movement. Although it might look haphazard, the training and discipline were evident.
The approaching group suddenly halted their advance.
It seems they have noticed us standing in the middle of the road. Someone in the front pointed at us and shouted something.
Turning my head upon recognizing their ridiculous attitude,
“Seems like…”
“…they’re coming for us.”
After the mana wielders, now soldiers? Probably mercenaries associated with the central nobles closely tied to Panray, not Bradden.
“There’s no time for boredom.”
“That’s an attack signal. The one in front… a bow? There are archers mixed in.”
Even from afar, the ominous movements were clear. Cruel drew his sword as I adjusted my grip on Calion. The assault began immediately.
With the fog gone, the wide-open plain provided no cover. The faint sound of arrows cutting through the air—hundreds of them.
“Don’t get hit by the blind arrows! If you get hit even once, I’ll tell the other knight captains your embarrassing story!”
“I’ll tell my own stories, thank you!”
* *End of Chapter* *