Chapter 44 "Dark Night"

"It's coming your way!"

Heidi signaled, and I readied the club in my hand.

　Scrofa, a boar-like monster, came charging at me from the front.

　I timed my full swing.

　The club plunged into Scrofa's nose.

　I felt a good response. It felt like it was crushing his skull.

　Scrofa fell down, spurting blood out of various holes.

　"That's quite a blow, isn't it?"

Heidi, who had driven it in, came up to me.

"Is this the last of them?"

"Well... yeah. That seems to be all of them."

　The next day.

　We were soon back at the guild, working on a job.

The first job was to exterminate monsters in a village a few hours' walk from Willead.

It is said to be the scrofa, a large boar-like creature that is ravaging the crops.

　Moreover, this boar is an omnivore and will eat almost anything, so it is said that if you get too close to it, it will eat you.

　Some of the villagers are said to have been eaten by these boars.

　In short, it is our job to get rid of these boars.

　There are 10 boars in total. We kill them all, hand over the carcasses, and that's it.

This is the 10th boar we've just killed.

Heidi did a good job of pushing them over to me, so I was able to get rid of them quite easily.

As far as I could see, she wasn't particularly bothered by yesterday's incident.

To be honest, it would be a problem if she starts to say she wants to leave the city, so I had prepared a phrase to appease her, but I didn't have to use it and was inwardly patting myself on the back.

　I still have some business to do in this town.

　I would like to see how things go for at least a few more days.

Besides, there are a lot of eradication quests in this town, so I can earn a lot of money.

Quests...especially those requiring killing are easily evaluated by the guilds.

　The high level of danger makes it easy to have one's abilities recognized.

　The Adventurers' Guild also relies on those who are skilled to defend the city in times of emergency, and it is said that the guild makes it difficult for those who are skilled to resist the guild's requests by having them raise their ranks as early as possible to make them feel good.

　It's not much more than a rumor, but it's also true that those with high combat power have high ranks.　

　I want to quickly raise my rank and get a good job.

　Heidi was a concern, but from the looks of her, there was no need to worry.

　She is strong.

　But it's a shame that she's not showing her ability at all because she's thinking about unnecessary things.

　I think she will be able to show off her abilities when she doesn't have to think about anything....

　I think that day may not come for a while. ......

When I saw the occasional glimmer of melancholy on her face, I knew she had a long way to go.

　After reporting to the village and handing over the carcass, we are done.

　It was a good start for the party's first quest.

　Night.

　The weather is cloudy. The moonlight is faint and the darkness is dense.

"Hey, Dylan, let's have a drink after this."

　I, Dylan, a knight of the Temple of Gnosis, after some hesitation, responded to my partner Alex's invitation.

"Sure, let's go."

　I'm in the mood for a few drinks to freshen me up after an unpleasant mission.

　Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life.

　We were assigned to escort someone.

The target of the escort is Triplett Medream.

He is the next lord of this Medream territory.

Compared to the current lord, he is not a man of good conduct. He takes advantage of his money and does whatever he pleases, and he also has problems with women, finding a woman he likes and using his money and power to get her.

　To put it bluntly, he is human waste.

　Recently, he has been planning to build another house on the outskirts of town because of the increase in the number of women he has surrounded himself with.

　For this purpose, he started saying that he was going to destroy the inn that had already been built.

　At first I thought he was joking, but when he started using ruffians to obstruct business, I realized he was serious.

...Oh, this guy can't be helped.

　I couldn't think of anything else to say. All he thinks about is satisfying his own desires.

And he even told me to do something about it.

　Naturally, both Alex and I refused. Our mission was to escort him, and nothing else was part of the mission.

I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't part of the mission.

As a devout Knight of the Holy Temple of the Gnosis, I know I shouldn't be thinking this, but isn't this an act that is contrary to the justice that the Order stands for?

　I thought about it many times during the mission, but never came up with an answer.

　This time too, we just watched and did nothing... no, we couldn't.

　That was the only thing that saved us...but it seems that the justice we revere does not even allow us to do that.

　It was yesterday. That son of a bitch started doing some crazy shit.

　He started attacking the inn with a bunch of hired gangsters...let's just call them "trash" now.

　As guards, we had to go to the inn... and witness the scene of the crime.

A mage behind him set the inn ablaze with fire-system magic as bottles of oil-filled liquor were thrown at the inn one after the other.

　The wooden inn was instantly engulfed in flames, and screams could be heard from within.

　...What is this?

　Alex was also immensely shocked at the scene before him.

　The entrance was destroyed and an old man jumped out from inside. He was looking at me like he was going to kill me.

　"You...you guys. You've gone this far out of your way."

With his hand on the sword at his waist, he slowly approaches us...the target of our escort.

"Ha! You didn't listen to me honestly, so this is what you get, isn't it? You got what you deserved!"

　The son of a bitch snickers at the old man's anger. The old man's gaze grows sharper.

　It's a natural reaction. I'd kill him myself if I could.

　Alex is thinking the same thing, and he is looking at the son of a bitch with a reproachful gaze.

　All eyes were on the old man and few noticed, but I saw some people moving away from the back of the inn.

　...The grandfather's son and his wife?

I have no obligation to tell him, and I'd rather they get away from here.

　"Oh, dear? What happened to the son and his wife and the kid? Oh, you mean you baited us to let them go? Hey! Take some of your guys and go get them. If they resist, you can kill them."

　Damn. What an unnecessary realization.

The son of a bitch tells the others to head in the direction of the escapees. Someone else has noticed.

　The old man slowly steps forward, drawing his sword as if to block the way.

　"You think I'm going to let you go?"

　The son of a bitch snickered and motioned to the men he had brought with him.

"You beat the old man to a pulp. If he resists, you can kill him."

The dirtbags the son of a bitch brought with him each hold up a weapon with a smirk on their face.

　"I've got it. Young master."

　"You better run now, old man, while you still can."

　I let out a small sigh when I see that.

　I'm not sure if you can even tell the difference between the two.

　"Golden Wings!"

　Just as the old man was about to mutter something, the heads of three people nearby cracked open.

　"What!?"

　"Huh?"

　Alex's eyes widened. From the outside, I would have had the exact same reaction.

　The son of a bitch doesn't seem to understand what happened.

I understood what had happened, but I couldn't see it myself.

　"Did you see it?"

"I knew he hit him in the head from the top, but I couldn't see it."

　"That old man does more than I thought he would."

　I answered Alex's question with my honest opinion. He is a great swordsman.

I'm sure he's better than us in terms of skill alone.

　"...Ha-ha-ha. You're pretty good at it, old man."

　The son of a bitch is trying to be tough with his face scrunched up, but his voice is shaking.

　From the looks of it, they can't win. The inn is burned down, so it's time to call it a night.

　But the son of a bitch has exceeded my expectations in more ways than one.

　"Next time it'll be me."

　He was so far ahead of us, we couldn't keep up. We rushed after him.

　"Excuse me, young master? I don't want you to do anything dangerous."

　Alex admonished him softly, but he ignored him.

　"Hey, hey, hey. What are you talking about? It's your job to protect me, isn't it? Knight of the Holy Temple! Protect me!"

　I knew what he was trying to do. This son of a bitch...he wants us to fight.

　If the people we're protecting are in danger, we have to eliminate that danger.

　Alex also came to the same conclusion and made a bitter face.

　I wondered why he was showing his face in a place like this.

　Cursing inwardly, he pulls out the sword at his waist and pulls down the visor on his helmet.

　"Back off. I have no business with you."

　"Sorry old man. I've got work to do."

　Alex responded in a tone of disapproval.

　Without saying a word, I readied my sword and assumed a fighting stance.

　The old man was in a lazy, relaxed posture and did not move.

What will come?

No, it's dangerous to let him make the first move...?

While I was thinking about it, Alex made the first move.

　A flash of a lateral cleave. A metallic sound.

At the same time, Alex's sword flies into the air and sticks close to him.

　"Tsk!"

　Alex holds his arm.

"Alex, are you okay?"

　"I can't believe it. This old man just matched my attack."

　The old man compares his sword to Alex's.

"It's hard. I thought I cut your wrist off, but I didn't."

　"Careful, Dylan. You've got a scratch on your armor. If you step in, he'll cut you down."

　Somehow I'm beginning to see this old man's technique.

It's a counter-attack. Is he using the power of his opponent's strike?

He's got a formidable skill if he can damage our "white armor".

　...It shouldn't be able to be damaged by ordinary weapons or magic.

　I myself don't understand it very well, but I hear that a special metal is used in its manufacture....

　Alex slowly steps back to pick up the sword without taking his eyes off the old man.

　I stay in check to make sure I don't get in the way.

　The others around us were also overwhelmed by our fight, but no one moved.

　"Hey, hey! What are you standing there for? You guys go after the escapees! Go after them and kill them!"

　The son of a bitch shouted the order as if he had just remembered.

The others start to move as if they've been hit.

"I won't let you."

　The old man looks around quickly and mutters quietly.

　"Golden Wings."

　Instantly, I feel something stretch against my body and my body becomes heavy.

　I put all my strength into my legs to keep from falling over.

　"What!?"

　"Damn! What the hell is this?"

Alex was also struck by the same phenomenon as me, expressing his confusion.

　"My...agh..."

　"My body..."

The others struggled on the ground, as if they could not stand it.

　This situation is not good. I have to do something. I move my body desperately.

　It's defense. I don't know what will come after this, but if I don't defend myself, I will die.

　"Red Wings"

　I let go of my sword and crossed my arms to protect the vital point as I heard the old man mutter something.

　Impact and metallic sound. Something hit me where my neck would have been if my arms hadn't protected it.

The force itself wasn't that much, but it was sharp enough to convince me that my head would have fallen off if I had taken it properly.

　My body regained its freedom.

I picked up my sword and jumped backwards to distance myself and check my surroundings.

Alex also seems to have managed to prevent it, holding his sword up and keeping a sharp eye on the old man with his guard up.

　Some of the lucky ones were on their asses and not moving.

　The unlucky ones were decapitated.

　He had killed six or seven of them in an instant. Who was this old man?

　I shivered, cold sweat running down my back.

　I didn't think I could win, but I wanted to have an ordinary match in a more decent place.

　That's how brilliant his swordsmanship is.

　But in this place, he is....

　The old man is on his knees, breathing roughly.

　That technique seems to be very hard on his body.

　"Ha, ha. You scared me. Hey! Kill him!"

　Shut up, you son of a bitch.

　That said, I agree with the proposal. This old man is too dangerous.

　Alex nodded lightly, pointed his sword at the old man, and approached him cautiously.

　By all appearances, the old man has not given up.

I signal to Alex with a glance. He nods, as if he senses the meaning of my gaze.

　The old man is not moving, as if he is aiming for something.

　The next step would probably be the deciding factor.

　We closed the gap between the old man and me from both sides.

　Five more steps to the sword.

　Four steps. The old man did not move.

　Three steps. Alex matches me and closes the gap.

　Two steps. I can't stop sweating. It's a heartbreaking moment.

　One step. I'm consciously adjusting my breathing.

Zero... cutting in at the same time.

　"Bird king!"

　The old man's arm is a blur.

　I step forward at once. I close the distance before his sword gets momentum.

　No matter how sharp his sword is, if he doesn't swing it completely, it shouldn't be that scary.

The counterattack is a threat, but as long as the speed isn't too high, the strength of my armor should be able to withstand it without any problems...

In the next instant, my thoughts were cut off and my body was blown away.

"....but...."

　I can't speak well.

　I think I took a hard hit in the chest area.

　Damn! What happened?

　"Dylan! Are you okay!?"

　Alex ran over to me and picked me up.

"Ah...yeah, I'm all right. What happened?"

　I checked myself...a chill ran down my spine.

　My armor...the blade of my broken sword was digging into my side.

　And my sword was broken in half.

　"The old man was going to cut you with his sword."

He had succeeded in breaking my sword, but the armor seemed to have stopped him.

Was I blown away by the impact alone? Without a doubt, without the white armor, I would have died.

　I looked toward the old man and saw him lying there, covered in blood.

　"He was going to take you with him from the beginning. He didn't even try to avoid my sword."

　Alex shook his head.

　...I see.

　The old man decided he couldn't beat us, so he tried to take at least one of us with him.

　That didn't seem to work either...

"Even if...i...bet... my...life...i can't... reach..."

　The old man stopped moving after saying that.

　"Ha! You scared me! You guys! Stop your whining! Hurry up and clean up the rest!"

　The son of a bitch kicks the old man repeatedly and sends instructions to the survivors.

The rest of them go after the old man's family.

Now that the old man is dead, we have no business here. We left the place with the son of a bitch.

I wondered what happened to the old man's family after that, but seeing as how the bastard was in a good mood the next morning... they probably didn't get away scot-free.

　No problems happened that day, but I lost my sword, so I went to the local arms store and bought a cheap sword.

　The sword I was using was not a special sword, but it was a supplied one. I also broke my armor, albeit partially.

　Today, my mission is complete. Tomorrow I would report to the Order and take a few days off.

　That's probably why Alex invited me out for a drink.

　I'm not in the mood to do anything without a drink.

　I need to make sure it doesn't affect tomorrow, but it's okay to get a little wild once in a while.

　I headed for my favorite bar.

　On the way there, I stopped.

　"Dylan."

　"Yeah, I'm aware of that."

　At this time of the day, there are not many people on the street.

But I have never experienced that there were none. There was no sign of anyone around.

Strange. It was strange no matter how much it might be.

　We walked down the street, keeping our swords at our waists, ready to pull them out at any moment.

　Alex also kept his eyes on the road.

　After a short walk, we saw figures.

　Two people. Both were wearing black cloaks and hoods, so we couldn't make out their faces.

　But they are of good physique. Both must be men.

　One of them steps forward and draws his sword.

"I would like taste your sword."

　What is this guy? Does he know we are knights of the Holy Temple?

　Or is it a challenge? Is it a personal grudge?

　For a moment, I thought of that old man's son and his wife, but I guess not.

　The man in front of me is too big.

　He is slightly above average in height, but his muscles are extremely well built.

　He has worked out a lot. He is probably a seeker who wants to test his strength.

It would be difficult to escape from him, so I guess I have no choice but to deal with him.

　I'm not used to using a cheap sword, but I guess it can't be helped.

　I pulled out my sword and readied it.

　Alex is facing another man.

　The other guy is even bigger. He is taller than the other guy, and he is also very muscular.

　As a man, I envy him for his height.

The taller you are, the more distance you can reach.

　Oops. That's an unnecessary thought.

　Let's concentrate on what's in front of us. Shaking my head, I drive out the thoughts that get in the way.

　I wait for the opponent's move.

　I gradually close the gap with my sliding feet.

　Based on my experience with that old man, I'm wary of return moves.

　The opponent doesn't move.

　...Are you going to give up the first move?

　Excellent. I take a light breath.

　At the same time as I exhale, I put all my strength into my legs and step forward in a single breath.

A flash of the sword. The trajectory is to enter from the shoulder and cut the torso in two.

　The opponent does not move.

　I swing through, wondering.

　I was sure it was going in. I was sure of it, but all I felt was a slice through the air.

　Just as I wondered why, I heard a metallic sound nearby.

　I turned my head and saw a sword thrust into the ground. It was my sword, no matter how I looked at it.

Was I repelled? That thought was blown away when I saw the sword stuck in the ground.

　I looked down and saw that the sword had an arm attached to it.

When I looked down, I saw that my arm was missing from the elbow joint.

　"But, na, agu. Ba, idiot."

　Meaningless words escape from my mouth.

　Was I cut? I didn't notice it at all. And this way of cutting, is it the same as that old man's?

　What does that mean?

　The man exhales lightly. He breathes lightly, as if to say, "I'm disappointed."

　"Mercury."

　A shock to the shoulder.

　"Gah!"

I fall on my back.

　I tried to get up, but I couldn't move.

　For some reason, I couldn't even speak.

　...Damn.

I looked at Alex, inwardly cursing, and saw that he was already done, too.

　The other man was holding Alex by the mouth and lifting him up with one hand.

　That alone was an unusual sight, but Alex was also acting strangely.

　His face was pulsating unnaturally.

　It was as if something was stirring under his skin.

　Alex's body jerked and twitched as he was lifted...and then he stopped moving.

The man tosses Alex like garbage and walks slowly over to me and calls out to his partner.

　"Are you done?"

　"Yeah. That's enough. Do it."

　The man approaches me and grabs me by the head and lifts me up.

"No, stop it."

　I'm a Knight of the Holy Temple. I don't fear my enemies. I do not fear pain. I do not fear death.

　But... for some reason, the man in front of me only made me feel fear.

　"Please wait, I..."

　The man's other hand slowly reached for me...

　My screams were absorbed into the darkness of the night.