< 112. Blood wets the sand (3) >
#112
“Good. “I was already curious about its performance.”
Ronan crossed his arms and pulled the hilts of both swords at the same time. A black Lamancha and a sword that had not been seen before appeared. Schlieffen opened his mouth with his eyes fixed on Ronan’s left hand.
“Was it a dagger? “That’s surprising.”
“I thought this was something when I first got it.”
Ronan’s new weapon was a dagger. This unfamiliar blade, which seemed to have a total length of about 30cm at most, gave off the opposite impression of La Mancha in many ways.
The sword body was curved in a graceful curve. The sword boat, with unknown characters engraved on it, was pure white like starlight on a winter day. Ronan, who habitually turned the dagger around and held it, laughed.
“Damn, it’s really heavy as expected.”
The way his shoulders dropped suddenly made him look like he was holding a two-handed sword. The unusually high weight was also a contrast to La Mancha.
It was difficult to handle it freely unless the muscles were strengthened with mana. Ronan frowned as he suddenly remembered the time when he received the weapon.
“I don’t remember the name. Didican told me this. “It’s already… what?”
“The sword itself looks good. “But what did you do to the hilt of the sword?”
Schlieffen said, glaring daggers. Unlike the pure white sword body, the hilt of the sword was black in color. Schlieffen noticed that the ominous energy he had felt throughout his travels was coming from there.
Ronan knew it was because it was finished with pieces of Vajra. Nebula Clazie’s sparkling mana was creeping over her dagger.
“I don’t know.”
But instead of answering, Ronan shrugged his shoulders. It was too long a story to explain under these circumstances.
The torches and shouts were getting closer. In an instant, the wind grew stronger and the clouds covering the moon retreated. The faces of angry people were revealed.
“There it is! Catch it!”
“I see that one of them is a wizard because he uses a tornado. “Take care of him first!”
“Damn, I never thought I’d be attacked first…!”
There were seven men and three women. The identity of the group was, as expected, the losers of Dainhar.
Although they were a group of thieves, their flashy behavior proved it. He made all kinds of preparations and turned away adventurers who challenged Dainhar, so even if he robbed just one or two people, he would have made a lot of money.
Schlieffen took his stance. Sita, who was already ready for battle, also prepared to cast blood magic. Ronan suddenly walked forward and blocked Schlieffen.
“What are you doing?”
“Wait a minute. “There’s something I want to try.”
“What do you want to try?”
“okay. This is the first weapon I received, so I’ll have to see if it’s useful. Sita, you too, wait a moment.”
“Byeot.”
Sita absorbed back the blood she had been collecting to fire the blood bullet. Schlieffen reluctantly stepped back. Suddenly, a shout was heard from the center of the group.
“Stone Hand!”
“oh?”
Ronan, who heard the chant, curled his mouth. It seemed like a band of thieves and a wizard were accompanying them.
Quang! Suddenly, the ground in front of me exploded and a grip made of rock emerged. A palm that appeared to be approximately 3 meters in size descended towards the two people.
“You idiots. “At this level, I can make a living even if I don’t steal.”
Ronan spat on the floor and swung La Mancha. Several lines were drawn on the rocky surface. Push! The shattered rock hand lost its shape and exploded. The woman’s eyes widened as she cast her magic.
“W-what?!”
“It’s you.”
Ronan, who figured out the wizard’s location, threw down his dagger. His weight was so heavy that it felt like he was throwing a shot put. Wedge! The white dagger flew towards the woman in a perfect straight line.
“be careful!”
The man in charge of the line raised his shield and blocked the woman’s path. Judging by her quick reaction time, she seemed to be quite skilled. But that didn’t really matter. Pow! The dagger that broke the shield pierced the man’s neck.
“Kyaak…!”
Blood spurted out. The sound of her neck bones being crushed rang out. The woman, who belatedly realized the situation, was about to scream. Sigh! The tip of her sword protruding from the back of her man’s neck pierced her forehead. The woman’s body flew behind her and crashed to the ground. The bandits around him were scared and backed away.
“Hey, Mindy! Damn it…!”
“Damn it, the dagger pierced the shield right now?!”
It was an instant death without a doubt. Two bodies were convulsing. Ronan whistled happily.
“It’s useful.”
It had a penetrating power beyond imagination. Just by looking at the path the dagger flew, you could see how well-made the weapon was.
Suddenly, Ronan raised his right foot. Those quick-witted guys had to be dealt with at once before they dispersed like c*ckroaches. He turned to Schlieffen and said:
“hey. “If I stomp my foot, shoot a whirlwind.”
“What do you mean?”
Schlieffen tilted his head. Instead of responding, Ronan stamped his foot. thud! As her footsteps echoed, ripples of mana spread out.
However, rather than at Ronan’s feet, the focus is on the dagger buried deep in the woman’s forehead. Quaaa! Shiny roots grew out of nowhere and wrapped around the thieves gathered around the woman.
“W-what is this?!”
“body···!”
The bandits, who were suddenly stranded, struggled and panicked. Schlieffen’s eyes widened. He knew who that technology belonged to.
“Respect Dolan…! How do you use that skill?”
“I’ll explain, so let’s get those out of the way first. “Are you still weaker than you think?”
Ronan pointed at the thieves with the tip of his chin. As he said, some people were already trying to shake off their roots. Schlieffen quickly regained his senses and grabbed the hilt of the sword. An auror imbued with storm came up on the sword body.
“Sure.”
Schlieffen swung his sword in the direction of the thieves. The sharp sword fired along the sword path landed in the center of the group of thieves. Quaaaaa! A cyclone with a diameter of up to 10 meters engulfed the thieves.
“Kwaaaa!!”
“···Save me!”
The bandits who were tied up could not escape the whirlwind. A low scream could be heard, diluted by the sound of the wind. The fresh blood sprayed down like a drizzle. Limbs torn by the sharp wind were dancing in the wind.
Eventually, the wind subsided. Pow! puck! The corpses that had climbed to the top of the whirlpool fell to the ground one by one. A scene that looked like spilled meat stew unfolded before my eyes. A soup made with spicy peppers and tomatoes.
“Ugh, f*ck.”
Ronan frowned. It seemed like I wouldn’t even feel like eating for three days. Schlieffen’s storm sword was much stronger than what I saw during the intermediate evaluation. This, along with everything else in Nabi Rose, seemed like it could never be copied.
“Don’t you know that something is in moderation?”
“There is no need for leniency toward the wicked.”
Of course, there were no survivors. At that time, a cluster of sparkling lights caught my eye in the midst of the devastation. Ronan strolled over and picked up the dagger buried in her intestines.
“This one is good.”
This was the reason why he was instructed to shoot the storm sword even though he could easily lose the sword. Suddenly, the name of a dagger I had forgotten flashed through my mind. Ronan said to himself after wiping the blood off his knife.
“Ymir.”
When I heard it, it seemed like it was the name of some kind of giant. Although he didn’t really like anything to do with giants, Ronan was quite pleased with the new weapon, whatever its name.
The weight was different from what it looked like, and the ability to cast the sparkling mana-based auror by changing its location was not bad. He gathered what he could and then turned his steps.
“Sita. “Let’s clean it up.”
“Bye!”
Sita spread her four wings wide. The blood that had pooled and splashed all over her formed into drops and she floated into the air.
The same thing happened to the boys’ bodies and clothes. Sita absorbed all the blood in less than three minutes.
“good job. “I haven’t lost my senses yet.”
“Pyeol~”
As Ronan scratched her neck, Sita closed her eyes and purred. According to Ophelia, the more blood you absorb, the stronger your blood magic becomes, so it seemed like it would be a good idea to let her drink it whenever she got the chance.
“…He’s capable.”
After confirming that his clothes were clean, Schlieffen muttered quietly. After clearing out the losers, the two people took their steps again. If I had the same mind, I would have wanted to go to their base and kill them all, but unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to spare.
****
“Damn it. “We’ve finally arrived.”
“Is it here? “This is my first time seeing it in person.”
Schlieffen muttered with interest. The wide sandy field stretched out endlessly. The sand dunes with clear wave patterns were crumbling little by little each time the wind blew. The sea of stars spreading overhead seemed as if it would overflow and pour down below the horizon at any moment.
The night of the fifth day after starting the walking tour. The two entered the red sand desert. Ronan, who had stretched himself out, grumbled.
“Ugh… I used too much energy on those little things.”
“It was the right choice. “The number of victims will definitely decrease.”
“That’s right.”
The two walked for five more days, just as Ronan had predicted. Thirty-two losers were dealt with while the sun rose and set four times. In most cases, Schlieffen, who sensed a presence, would strike first, and Ronan would go and cut them all down.
As the rumor spread, the bandits responded with increasingly more strategic measures, but without fail, they ended up becoming minced meat. Tactics were meaningless in the face of overwhelming force. Ronan glanced at Schlieffen’s profile and nodded.
‘As expected, you did a good job bringing this bastard.’
Needless to say, he had great skills and had no hesitation in cutting down evildoers. Thanks to this, the two were able to quickly enter the desert even though they were clearing out a group of bandits. Ronan suddenly stretched out his arm and pointed ahead.
“I can see it now. “That’s Dainhar.”
Schlieffen turned his head. In the distance, densely growing rocky mountains came into view.
It looked exactly like a crown or an inverted hand grip. Schlieffen, who was quietly glaring at Dainhar, twisted his lips.
“It feels… unusual.”
“right? The closer you get, the more you’ll understand why it’s a demon. “You must absolutely do as I tell you.”
Ronan shuddered as he remembered the hardships of his past life. As long as we could avoid the damn sandworms, rock birds, and traps laid by the natives, we would have made a good save. He said, throwing down the backpack he was carrying.
“Anyway, you had a hard time. “Let’s camp here today.”
Schlieffen hesitated. They built a bonfire and laid out sleeping bags. Because the nights in the desert were cold, we had to wear thick leather clothes to sleep. Every time I exhaled, pure white breath came out.
Today was the day Schlieffen stood watch first. He stood with his back straight and began to look at the desert. He wrapped himself in a sleeping bag and Ronan motioned towards Sita.
“Come here, Sita.”
“Pyeol?”
Sita, who was dozing in front of the bonfire, approached Ronan. Opening the opening of her sleeping bag, Sita obediently climbed into it and curled up on Ronan’s chest.
Ronan hugged Sita tightly. Warm warmth came through the fluffy feathers.
“This is it. Damn, I can finally live a little better.”
“Pyeol~”
It was a positive function of a pet. Sita purred as if she was in a good mood. It was the moment when Ronan was about to fall asleep.
“···I heard that you saved Zion.”
“ok?”
“As long as I became your brother and didn’t even know that such a thing was happening.”
Ronan raised his head. Schlieffen’s gaze remained on the sand. Ronan soon realized that he was talking about what had happened at the Tower of Dawn.
“Oh, that kid was your younger brother. “How are you doing?”
“okay. As soon as I received a call from the Dawn Magic Tower, I sent my exclusive doctor. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with my health.”
“That’s a good thing. “He’s a bit cute, unlike you.”
“He is a child who grew up receiving a lot of love. “Among my siblings, I am the only one with a talent for magic.”
Ronan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that he was safe. It was a car I was already curious about.
It was by no means normal to be manipulated by banned books, blow up an airship, and almost set fire to a library with hundreds of years of history. Schlieffen continued.
“For the two days we were together, we only chatted about you and Lady Acalusia. In particular, it seems like the relationship with Lady Akalusia is almost like a biological sister. “There is no way he wouldn’t know that we are in an adversarial relationship.”
“What are you taking so long to say?”
“Nothing much. but···”
Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. He was deliberately dragging the conversation. Schlieffen, who was silent for a moment, turned to Ronan and opened her mouth.
“Thank you for saving my sister.”
“her.”
At the same time, they lowered their heads. Ronan laughed. I never thought I would live to see my son bowing his head. Ronan, who felt uncomfortable for some reason, waved her hand.
“It’s bland. it’s okay.”
“Everyone in your family already knows your merits. “I will repay you in the name of Grancia.”
“Damn the reward. If you’re so grateful, could you please stand for one more hour? “I’m sleeping.”
Ronan lay down without saying those words. The reward he received for doing what he was supposed to do was somehow not refreshing.
A grumbling sound was coming from Sita’s mouth, who had already fallen asleep. As her body warmed up, she fell asleep easily. Her eyelids began to slowly droop.
.
···thud!
.
“Ronan. “Get up.”
“···Huh?”
Ronan opened his eyes. The still brilliant night sky came into view. A dark red nebula was burning beyond the Milky Way.
He slowly raised his upper body. For some reason, it seemed as if my body’s fatigue had not been relieved at all. Schlieffen was standing in the same position as when I first saw him.
“What, how long did I sleep…?
“About thirty minutes.”
“You ungrateful bastard… you can’t stand me any longer, so why wake me up two hours and thirty minutes first? “Are you human?”
“Look over there.”
Schlieffen pointed to the middle of the desert without much response. Ronan stood up grumbling and looked in the direction indicated by Schlieffen. His eyes widened.
“Holy shit. “Why is that monster here?”
“It just flew from the direction of Dainhar and crashed. “Is this a creature you know?”
“I know, but…”
Now that I think about it, I thought I heard something falling in my sleep. There was a huge, black bird lying down less than fifty steps away. It had a wingspan of 6m, and was almost the size of a wyvern.
Ronan knew the identity of the creature. It was a strange roc bird that only lived in Dainhar. Ronan shook his head to shake off his drowsiness and opened his mouth.
“Let’s go.”
The two hurriedly ran towards Lock Bird. Sita, who woke up late, followed. Ronan, who arrived first, clicked his tongue and muttered.
“Damn it, he’s dead.”
Locke Bird was already dead with a broken neck. The black wings were stiff. Ronan tilted her head.
“Why did you crawl out here?”
The Roc Bird was a creature that lived its entire life within Dainhar. The memory of being chased by these guys in his past life was still vivid in his eyes. Ronan was in the middle of slowly opening the corpse.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu….”
Suddenly, someone’s moans were heard from under the wings. Ronan’s eyes widened. He quickly approached the place where the sound was heard and lifted his wings with both arms.
“Holy shit.”
Ronan gritted his teeth. A boy was curled up and moaning. What appeared to be five types of tattoos were engraved on his naked upper body.
“Ugh… Ugh… All, all…!”
“Take it out quickly.”
Judging from his behavior, he was a native living in Dainhar. Schlieffen picked up the boy. Ronan, who had put down his wings, asked the boy.
“Hey, come to your senses. “What happened?”
“…Everyone…is dead.”
The boy who muttered that words lost consciousness. Ronan instinctively sensed that things were going very wrong.
