185
Dylan wanted to eat bread
‘Why is the enemy of the Imperial Knights in Cassadic···.’
Pulpouts clenched his fists. The stinging sensation of his nails digging into his flesh made him regain his dazed mind.
Next, he looked at the guildmaster of the Frederick Guild. The gentle-looking guildmaster continued to smile, but the corners of his mouth were subtly stiff.
‘You have to come to your senses.’
Pulpouts poured the wine into his mouth. The heat rose and the tension eased a little.
While having breakfast with the leader of the rebels, the head of the Imperial Knights suddenly visits. It is a dramatic situation that would be unbelievable even if it were planned by God.
However, the incident had already occurred. It was a clear crisis. A small mistake could have led to fatal consequences.
Pulpouts continued to roll his head, snapping his fingers as he calculated his options.
At that moment, the sheriff stepped aside. Heavy footsteps could be heard beyond the wide-open door. The unique sound of iron striking stone caught Pulptu.
Just as the sound of heavy footsteps seemed to fill the room, a figure in gleaming golden armor entered.
The man had the appearance of a knight, as if he were a green knight. He was of moderate build, had broad shoulders, and looked like he would never make a single mistake. He had an indescribable presence.
Even though only one person had entered, the room felt full. It was becoming a little difficult to breathe. The man looked around the room carefully.
Adolf and Adela flinched. The Frederick Guild figures also visibly shrank.
Even if Fullfoot was a nobleman, he was a very high-ranking figure if he was the head of the Imperial Knights.
He also wore armor with the royal emblem on it. It was not a situation where he could measure himself. He had to lie flat on his stomach.
“I am Baron Pulpouts, Lord of Cassidy. It is an honor to have the honorable Marshal Balhar Khan visit my castle.”
Pulpouts bowed his head and spoke politely. The moment Guildmaster Frederick followed suit and started introducing himself, Marshal Balhar Khan raised his hand to stop him.
“Bring Aaron and Vivian, the 4th squad leader of the Outer Guard. It’s an imperial event.”
It was an order given without any explanation, but no one questioned it. No, it could not be asked.
‘Aaron? No, why Vivian?’
Pulpouts’ eyes narrowed. Vivian’s name made his headache worse. His thoughts became faster.
It wasn’t about the rebels, judging by the fact that Marshal Balhar Khan wasn’t paying attention to the guild. From what I heard from Nova, Aaron wasn’t a rebel in the first place.
At that moment, twelve golden knights stood behind Marshal Balhar Khan. Even though there were only twelve men standing, Pulpouts felt a tremendous sense of pressure.
‘One enemy is too much, but twelve royal knights…’
Cassadic didn’t have the power to stop them. Even if they could, there would be more problems.
Pulpouts chewed his lip and looked around. Everyone, from the knight to the knight, was timid.
Even Adela, who was always confident, looked timid. Compared to the other knights, she still looked brave, but weaker than usual.
The only one who was not intimidated was Nova, who was neither a knight nor a constable.
In addition, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, indicating that Aaron’s name had been mentioned, which seemed to have caused him some discomfort. Seeing Nova, the only one without powers, frown, Pulpouts regained his composure.
‘Yes, you must be calm. If I, the lord, am afraid, I cannot do anything.’
Pulpouts let out a long breath. The situation had reached such a climax that he no longer felt a headache.
His mind became complicated in an instant. However, his opponent was the enemy of the Imperial Knights. Furthermore, since it was declared an imperial event, Pulpouts had no choice.
‘Aaron disappeared this morning, and Vivian is with Kanna.’
Pulpouts, who quickly checked the situation, nodded slightly. Since he had requested both at the same time, it would be okay even if Vivian was caught before Aaron arrived.
“Yes, I understand.”
Pulpouts bowed his head and answered briefly.
However, his eyes were sharper than usual.
“Nova, can you call Aaron and Vivian?”
Nova nodded, receiving the attention. Nova frowned in front of the commander of the Imperial Knights, and it was the best choice.
“If you find a man named Aaron, tell him I called him.”
Marshal Balhar Khan waved his hand and said. The imperial knights moved accordingly.
Whether it was a display of confidence or pride in the name of the Imperial Family, all the Imperial Knights except Marshal Balhar Khan followed Nova out.
Left alone, Marshal Balhar Khan leisurely brought his teacup to his lips.
‘······What a strangely friendly voice.’
As Pulphus added, he found Balhar Khan’s voice subtly favorable.
No, it was a voice that seemed certain that Aaron would follow him.
‘···What kind of relationship is it?’
He couldn’t back down because it was Vivian’s fault. Pulpouts let out a deep breath and sat back down in the empty seat.
Pulphutz looked into the sharp eyes of Marshal Balhar Khan and considered what he could do.
***
“Black wolves, red trolls, grave keeper… Isn’t this too many?”
The warlock Celt muttered in a trembling voice. Then he quickly cast his gaze on the axe eyes of the hundred-skull Ravsan.
“Of course you won’t believe that the one who receives Mana’s love is a seed. You ignorant brat. Don’t you know what a seed is?”
Kelt muttered a curse under his breath at the sudden outpouring of abuse. How could such an ignorant brat be the leader? The wizards didn’t look down on the warlocks for nothing.
Celt, who had been muttering to himself, hurriedly opened his mouth at Ravsan’s fierce gaze.
“No, even if it’s a seed, isn’t it too harsh? It’s as if someone was pushing it…”
Celt covered his ears in preparation for Ravsan’s subsequent shouts, but Ravsan was surprisingly quiet.
“That’s true. Even if the higher-ups are like that, the rookies are also involved… It’s a bit unsettling.”
“Yes, I think so too. We gathered at the same time and… there are many people I’m hearing about for the first time.”
Celt answered and looked around. Celt was hiding in the forest near Cassadic.
There were all sorts of warlocks gathered in the forest around Cassidy, some of them big guys.
It was as if a siege net had been formed around Cassidy. In that situation, they were watching each other, making it difficult to move.
Since it was clear that if they made the first move, they would only be doing good to others, a strange standoff ensued.
“The Great Darkness failed… It certainly is destined to fail. That’s a castle in the outskirts, the passing orc laughs.”
I nodded to Ravsan’s muttering. Who would believe that such a huge castle was a castle in the outskirts?
“···What do we do now? It seems like no one will move.”
Celt looked around and asked. Ravsan, excited by the story of the seed, brought all the available personnel.
It’s quiet now, but since the black magicians have shitty personalities by default, there’s no telling when they’ll explode. The longer it takes, the more likely it is that something will go wrong.
“Hmm… How many skulls did you bring?”
“Including the kids below, there are a total of 211. I brought them in a hurry···.”
Celt answered with a quick glance. 211 was a large number, but given the circumstances, he couldn’t be sure.
“It’s a little lacking. But it’s strange that the wolves are quiet. They’re the dogs that should have run away a long time ago.”
Celt nodded to Ravsan’s muttering. The black wolves didn’t care at all how many people were around.
‘Rather, they are the ones who should come forward confidently. They are anxious because they cannot show off their strength.’
So I thought it wouldn’t take too long… but it was still strange that it was quiet.
“But isn’t it too quiet? Even if you wait, it’s loud enough to make noise···.”
Ravsan’s eyes narrowed at Celt’s muttering. Ravsan fidgeted with his hands for a moment and then turned his head away.
“···Take out the bones!! Bones are the most honest appearance! They are lighter than anything else!”
Celt hurriedly took out his staff at Ravsan’s spell.
““Rise, you who are dead!””
The reaction was quick because they were on alert. The warlocks shouted. Their voices were so loud that they could be heard all around.
Within moments, skeletons rose from the ground. They were skeletons that had been fed blood and infused with vengeful spirits, so their strength was no less than that of armed soldiers.
The only problem was that it was a little slow, but once the numbers were that high, it didn’t matter. There was also a Love Mountain there.
The completed Lovesan spell covered the skeleton. The once slow skeleton became brisk as if it had threads attached to it.
It was Ravsan’s specialty, the Hand of the Dead. It was a black magic that required a high level of concentration, so there were few who had mastered it. It was such an advanced black magic that it was questionable how such an ignorant Ravsan could master it.
As we were on guard against an attack from the other side, a series of events were completed in an instant.
All the skeletons hidden below crawled out and filled the forest. My heart felt at ease as I looked at the sight of the huge skeletons.
‘I don’t know what kind of idiots they are, but they caught me!’
Even if the Warlocks weren’t on good terms with each other, they were clearly very stupid to think of attacking in this situation.
‘Is it the black wolf?’
If you’re that stupid, the black wolf is a strong candidate.
“There is only one enemy! Wake up! Will my hatred end just because my breath stops? The bond of the vengeful spirit!”
Ravsan continued to chant. Kelt’s eyes crinkled at the mention of one enemy.
‘To us alone? What kind of crazy bastard···.’
However, if Ravsan was that alert, it was clearly dangerous.
at that time.
Kwaaaaang-!!
“Wh··· What···.”
Celt’s eyes widened at the loud noise. Fragments of the skull, known for its hardness, were scattered into the air. It was as if snow was falling upside down.
Celt hurriedly called out to the bat to check the situation.
His vision changed with dizziness. Kelt took a deep breath after checking the situation.
‘What the… What is this…’
As Ravsan had said, there was only one opponent. A huge man wearing black armor. The man who had entered between the skeletons was swinging his sword wildly like a wolf among sheep.
Even though it was clear that he would be surrounded by skeletons as he advanced, the man’s steps did not waver.
The man swung his sword repeatedly. Each time, the solid skull shattered and turned into dust.
It was ridiculous. If there had been an aura, I could understand, but there was no aura anywhere in the man’s office. He just waved his sword around like a back-alley thug.
The surrounding skeletons pounded on the man’s armor, but he paid no attention to it. He did not waver at all.
He simply swung his sword and advanced as if it were his destiny to crush skulls.
‘······Is that a person?’
Celt, who had confirmed him, hurriedly cut off his sight.
“Karma is a stigma that can neither be washed away nor shaken off. It is oppression.”
Celt completed the curse, trembling at the man whose words were vividly etched in his mind.
Boom-!
The loud noise came closer. The others must have noticed something strange, as their spells became faster. Curses poured down between the skeletons.
Celt felt a little relieved after confirming that the curse had been placed.
Kwaaang!
Again the white powder was sprayed into the air. The sound was clearly closer than before.
‘It’s definitely a curse…!’
Celt bit his lip and recited the spell again, spewing curses as if in a fit.
The other warlocks were similar. They all continued to pour out curses.
Kwaaaaang!
The powder was sprinkled again, but it seemed to be slightly further away than before.
The wall of skeletons was still solid. There were a whopping 211 of them. It was a number that even a knight could deal with.
“A single bone can be easily broken, but a hundred bones cannot be broken. A hundred bones.”
‘If you use that now······!’
The Celts were astonished by Ravsan’s spell. The Hundred Bones was Ravsan’s specialty. The effect was certain, but if he were to use it, all the skulls he had brought would disappear-.
But the order was already complete. The skeletons were tangled and lumped together, making a terrible noise.
Celt quickly turned his attention to the bat.
A man appeared right in the middle of the skeletons.
The man continued swinging his sword, smashing the surrounding skeletons, but was soon obscured by the mass of skeletons.
The skeletons piled on top of each other, swelling in size. They rose high enough to reach the tops of tall trees, and continued to sway.
Crunch, crunch, crunch. The sound of bones cracking filled the surroundings.
Then, a huge skeleton was completed. The skeleton was shaped like a snake, and the bones were densely packed together as if they were covered in hair.
The skeletons trembled gently, as if breathing.
A hundred bones, a menace in itself, but the bastard even met him at the center.
The man will be torn to pieces, stabbed, and crushed to death without knowing where is up or down.
Like prey swallowed by a snake-.
‘It’s the end.’
Celt wiped the sweat from his forehead and pondered what to do next.
Because of that strange guy who suddenly appeared, almost 150 people were blown away, so I had no choice but to retreat. But then the damage······.
at that time.
The belly of the giant skeletal snake rippled loudly. Crunch-. The skeleton made a sound as if it was screaming.
Thud. There was a loud thud again, along with a heavy sound. A strange hand emerged from between the bones.
‘······corrosion?’
The hand, clearly a demon’s, broke and tore at the surrounding bones. Even though the skeleton clearly felt no pain, the bones shook as if they were screaming.
The hole was so big that the thing was visible.
There were many skeletal hands stuck all over the armor that had not been able to let go of their obsession. A strange left arm on a black armor, and even numerous skeletons hanging from the back.
It was clear that he was a demon who had just emerged from hell.
No one could speak at that gruesome sight. Even Ravsan, who was reciting a spell even with a knife to his neck, had his mouth wide open.
Kwung. There was a loud noise as the man fell to the ground. The impact scattered the skull attached to the man onto the ground.
Before he knew it, the man’s left hand had returned to normal. Celt’s eyes grew even wider.
How can one manipulate erosion so freely?
At that moment, the man ran without hesitation. A long black line was drawn following the man.
The head rose into the air, spraying red blood. The warlocks in the man’s path fell without even being able to scream.
No, everyone knew. No matter what they did, they could not escape that death in the form of a man.
“Crazy monster bird······.”
Finally, a red line was drawn on Ravsan’s neck. Ravsan’s last words were, as expected, curses.
Kelt fell backwards, his legs giving out. The man looked down at Kelt with cold eyes.
Eyes that are not even slightly moved, even though their entire body is filled with red blood.
“Uh···uh···.”
Celt tried to open his mouth, but it wouldn’t move.
“Bone powder is also good for stamina.”
The man’s laughter and muttering were Celt’s last memory.
***
“Following the wolf, a skeleton? That’s a lot of things to ask.”
I clicked my tongue and wiped the blood from my hands.
I wonder if they advertised it somewhere, because a bunch of weird people came flocking here.
It was fortunate that we were keeping our distance from each other.
‘That guy earlier too… I guess he’s the fourth.’
Among the ones I caught, there was one who used shadows.
It seemed like the fourth one was the one spreading the rumor, since the raccoon had been using the shadow before.
‘But that’s too much for something like that.’
I sat down in a suitable place and took a sip of my water bottle. I heard footsteps behind me.
When I turned my head, I saw five elder brothers with black blood stains here and there. They still had expressions of innocence, but there was an indescribable fatigue in them.
“The culprit is······.”
I opened my mouth as I shook down the water bottle I had just emptied.
“The fourth one.”
He took my words in stride. I couldn’t help but frown at the guy who had stolen the most delicious part of the mystery.
I continued speaking quickly.
“Fourth, you must know that I’m here. But you sent these rascals anyways…”
“It must be to send the religious forces to Cassadic.”
He took the delicious part twice. I squinted at the guy who seemed to already know.
“You leaked information and used that as an excuse to send troops. How befitting of a raccoon’s successor.”
I nodded and got up. I was still in good shape thanks to the thorough warm-up.
“I saw the first one came earlier. He brought twelve imperial knights with him.”
The five elders opened their mouths at my muttering.
There were quite a few guys outside and they were quite tricky, but it wasn’t something that the five eldest sons couldn’t handle.
And yet he came to me-.
“I thought you were going to throw it away.”
I said, scratching my beard.
If my guess is correct, he was planning to take me with him and escape.
It was a reasonable choice. The first and fourth of the twelve imperial knights, as well as the sect’s troops… How could they stop this?
There was a high probability that they would target me. The five elders seemed to be considering retreating.
However, I hesitated because my pride would not allow me to say it out loud.
“It’s not an escape, it’s a strategic retreat. It’s a military strategy.”
The guy whose face suddenly became distorted answered a little quickly.
What he said was right. No, it was almost as if it was the only way to survive.
“It’s strategic···.”
It was a word that made ignorant knights go crazy, but it didn’t make sense to me, who knew many cooler words.
He looked towards Cassidy.
It was not visible because it was obscured by trees.
“I have an appointment.”
I smiled faintly and shook my hands.
“This idiot… For now, it’s better to retreat….”
He spoke urgently as he approached. His eyes were still straight, but unlike before, they were shaking slightly.
‘He left the rebels behind.’
Although he was a grumbling man, he was strangely polite when dealing with the guild leader.
“I have nowhere else to run.”
He answered briefly and walked away.
‘The first of twelve imperial knights…’
As always, I thought of the worst. No, even when I thought about it roughly, the worst thing that came to mind was nothing.
No matter how you set the board, if the twelve imperial knights were added to the first and the sect, there would be no answer.
However, I couldn’t help it because I had made many promises.
‘I think we should take our elders for a walk.’
Although he was a sentimental swordsman these days, he would definitely feel rejuvenated if he heard rumors of a dozen chewy imperial knights.
“Idiot.”
The sound of rough footsteps followed from behind.
***
‘You little brat… Where are you?’
Weasel… no, Dylan muttered, looking up at the sky.
I thought Hana would win the bet, of course. I didn’t tell the others, but it was a natural result since the two of them had slept together before.
Dylan then bet Hannah a huge sum of three silver, because he was sure she would win.
But Aaron was nowhere to be seen. Dylan ran around looking for Aaron. But Aaron was nowhere to be found.
‘There’s no back door either…’
Dylan knew that Aaron was regularly getting beaten up by the old man in the Dalus cabin behind the back door.
I didn’t actually see him because I had a feeling he was in danger, but I had a rough idea of where he was.
He went to Dalus’s cabin to find Aaron and exchanged greetings with the old man. He was a scary old man who had split three knights, but Dylan knew how to handle him, so he wasn’t that scary.
In the end, the story is that there is nothing inside or around Cassidy.
‘Isn’t that what happened?’
It was a possible story, since Aaron often disappeared.
Dylan was very serious because a huge sum of money, 3 silver, was at stake. The last place left was the inner castle…
At that moment, Dylan’s eyes widened. Nova, one of the candidates for the bet, was coming out of the castle, and there were a bunch of royal knights next to her.
‘······Why is the royal knight here?’
Dylan, who had a criminal record, hurriedly hid behind the wall.
‘Nimiral… are you caught?’
I remembered the burning of the Imperial Flag in Karzan. Of course, it turned out to be the work of the evil Black Bloods.
‘Then the ten bastards···.’
Dylan thought seriously. Could it be that the pup had abandoned him and run away?
Even if they were just a bunch of punks, they couldn’t help but be scared if their opponent was an imperial knight. If it was discovered that they had burned the imperial flag, and the punks had run away…
‘No, because I have Kanna.’
Dylan shook his head. It didn’t seem like Aaron would abandon Kanna. How could he abandon such a cute Kanna? Even if he was a brat, he wouldn’t do that.
‘then···?’
Dylan, whose anxiety was at its peak, chewed the tip of his fingernail. It was salty and quite tasty.
Dylan, who had been thinking for a moment, followed Nova, timidly. Nova headed to the square.
It was a holy day, and the square was more crowded than usual because there was a religious event. The residents who saw the imperial knights were startled and retreated, making a path.
Dylan blended into the crowd and closed the distance between them, getting close enough to hear Nova.
“Chief Aaron should have been in the square, but if he’s not here······.”
“Then move that way.”
The imperial knight gave a short order. The moment Nova nodded and turned around.
‘······platform?’
On the other side were figures in silver armor. They were the same armor as the Knights Templar I had seen last time. The crowd retreated, forming a circle.
In the meantime, the Imperial Knights and the Knights Templar faced each other. The contrasting armor of the two was quite impressive.
“There are pigeons in the East too.”
A man from the Imperial Knights’ side grumbled with hostility.
“Oh, we also feel very sorry for the palace. We prayed for you this morning.”
A rather handsome man from the Knights Templar came forward and spoke to me. The atmosphere became tense in an instant.
“How dare a pigeon talk about royal affairs.”
“I prayed for the royal family, but are you really trying to take your anger out on us? You couldn’t protect him… Ahem.”
“How dare you! You pigeon!”
The voices became louder. The two closed the distance between themselves as if they were about to fight at any moment.
The elite group of the sect with a lot of rumors, the Knights of the Holy War, and the real swords of the empire, the Imperial Knights. What would happen if the two fought? This was a story that even the mercenaries would sometimes secretly talk about.
However, Dylan was confident that they would not fight.
If they were going to fight, they would have drawn their weapons a long time ago. Those guys who only raise their voices argue with words and never draw their swords.
As Dylan had expected, the two raised their voices at each other, but did not draw their weapons.
They both seemed to be keeping a certain line. Dylan saw Nova make a gesture as if he was blowing his nose.
At that moment, a group of people approached. They were the people of Frederick Guild. They stood quietly at a distance without getting in between.
As the townspeople became increasingly anxious, the square split into three groups. Cassadic’s forces were sending the townspeople away from a distance.
The voices were getting louder and louder, the conflict was building up and the tension seemed ready to explode at any moment.
Dylan licked his lips and turned around to go upstairs. It was a great spot with a good view of the square, but it was a spot that the others didn’t know about.
Moreover, it was a place where you could see below from above, but you couldn’t notice it from below unless you were conscious of it.
Dylan sat at the end and looked down. The royal knights and the knights of the temple were still fighting. Dylan was standing above the head of the royal knight who had started the fight first.
Dylan looked down at his round head and took out the bread he had kept.
It was a huge, hard loaf of bread that could be used as a blunt object. It was cheap and could fill the stomach if melted with saliva, so it was Dylan’s favorite bread.
At that moment, a man came up onto the stage.
“Then, let us begin the service to welcome the holy day.”
There was no crowd in the square, only three groups facing each other, but the Abbot of Brighton spoke to himself as if it did not matter.
The knights of the temple and the imperial knights below looked at him with bewilderment for a moment before raising their voices again.
The Abbot of Brighton began to pray. The Abbot of Brighton praying alone, with floating curses. The square was a mess.
At that time, the royal knights became noisy.
“Are these kids really trying to do this? How dare they show off their power here!”
One of the royal knights below Dylan shouted and pointed at the temple knight. Unlike before, he even drew his sword.
‘We might have a fight.’
The sword being drawn was a signal. A fight between a Templar and an Imperial Knight! Dylan craned his neck to look down.
The knight of the temple seemed taken aback by the rough behavior and his voice softened slightly.
Meanwhile, the Abbot of Brighton was still reading the Bible.
The voice of the Abbot of Brighton can be heard in the silence. Those who had been raising their voices stared at the Abbot of Brighton with bewildered faces.
Everyone’s eyes were focused straight ahead. The Abbot of Brighton remained still, even as the armed Templars and the Imperial Knights looked at him.
‘This bread is unusually hard today.’
I kept smearing saliva on the bread, but unlike usual, it didn’t tear. Watching the fight made me feel bored, so I started getting impatient.
Dylan quickly pulled out the dagger from his bosom. The dagger he was used to spinning around in his hand was spinning brilliantly. The dagger he had recently learned from the punk was quite fun, so Dylan kept spinning it around.
And then he held up the bread with one hand and glared at it with a frown like a child.
‘···It was like this.’
A long line was visible on the bread. Dylan felt something rising up.
I have a feeling that if I swing it now, I’ll be able to split that hard bread in one go.
His hands were tingling. Dylan then twirled the dagger in a flashy manner and cut the bread.
The problem, however, was that while I was spit-sticking on the bread, I also got spit on my hands.
For a moment, his hand slipped. He broke the bread, but the dagger left Dylan’s hand.
The dagger seemed to move slowly away from his hand. Then, the dagger slowly fell.
Dylan looked down hurriedly. The royal knight with the particularly foul temper was below him.
Dylan quickly extended his hand. The dagger bounced once more and came down faster.
Then the dagger was pointed at the royal knight. Dylan screamed inwardly.
A dagger that spins around and falls.
‘Please, please, please.’
At that moment, a dagger with speed struck the head of the imperial knight.
Bam!!
The dagger struck the crown of the imperial knight’s head with a crisp sound.
Fortunately, it was the handle and not the blade.
‘Whew- I did well to live a good life···.’
“Ugh···.”
The knight fell forward with a small sound.
A moment of silence followed.
The royal knight next to him swung his sword, cursing harshly. He was swinging his sword so fast that only his form could be seen.
Blood spurted from the Temple Knight’s shoulder.
Dylan then closed his eyes tightly and lay back.
Screams and shouts, a loud roar from below. Even the occasional prayer from Brighton.
The sky I saw while lying down was truly clear.
Dylan just chuckled.
I just happened to put a piece of well-cut bread in my mouth and ate it.
Dylan, who had been chewing him out thoroughly, laughed again.
