novelraw Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Meanwhile, Ted dragged his bundle up the long staircase leading to the academy. Groaning as he hauled it on his back, his shirt was soaked through with sweat.
"Why did he give me this!"
Thud.
"I have no idea!"
Thud.
"Why me!"
Thud.
Reaching the midpoint of the stairs, Ted collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. At Henrik's request, he'd been making daily trips to Volkan Blacksmith to deliver Sephirum to Grayson-a task that turned out to be far more exhausting than expected.
Unlike Henrik, who could lift it effortlessly with one hand, Ted-a young master who solved most problems with magic-found the Sephirum an unbearably heavy burden.
"What kind of friendship is this..."
Ted glanced at the Sephirum wrapped in the bundle.
Though it had been processed to a semi-finished state, creating a handle to support this massive hammer was still a monumental task.
It felt several times heavier now that it had been forged into a hammer.
For Ted, running errands to Volkan Blacksmith was pure torment.
Not only did he have to lug around the heavy Sephirum, but Grayson the blacksmith was impossibly gloomy and impossible to talk to.
Yet despite all that, Ted had gained a fascinating experience through Grayson. His techniques were forging methods Ted had never seen before.
'That technique of freely processing metal using magic... Honestly, I wanted to scout him as an academy student.'
Of course, he'd tried to approach him about recruitment, revealing himself as the academy dean, but Grayson was so extremely shy that he wouldn't come within 3 meters of Ted. Even in that cramped workshop.
'Next time, I really need to tell him clearly not to give me any more physical labor.'
Just as he grumbled and prepared to climb the stairs again, Ted spotted a massive red dome.
'Huh? Was that there before?'
Ted rubbed his eyes and looked up at the academy again.
Looking closer, he could see a massive magic circle glowing in the sky above the red dome. And from inside the barrier, he could faintly hear the sounds of battle.
A chill ran down his spine as ominous thoughts began to flood his mind.
"No way... it can't be?"
He hurriedly pulled a magic stone from his pocket and tried to contact his secretary. But there was no response from the other end.
Not just his secretary-none of the other professors responded either.
Cold sweat dripped down as his ominous thoughts gradually solidified into certainty.
'Demons.'
Ted recalled the power of Velperia he'd encountered before. Even in her weakened state as a Sovereign, the city had been thrown into chaos. Though Henrik's efforts had miraculously resulted in only one death.
But if this was happening at the academy, it was an entirely different story.
There were students inside.
Ted rushed up the stairs.
"Huff...! Huff...!"
When he reached the top of the stairs, his path was blocked by the red barrier.
-Thud! Thud!
No matter how hard he pounded it with his hands, the barrier wouldn't budge.
The sounds of battle grew closer. At that moment, a group of magic beasts rushed past in front of Ted.
"Ugh!"
Startled by the sudden appearance of the magic beasts, Ted fell backward and landed hard on his rear.
Though the magic beasts paid no attention to Ted beyond the barrier, their mere presence made his heart sink.
Seeing the grotesquely-formed magic beasts moving in groups made Ted desperate.
"Please...!"
-Bang! Crash!
As Ted swung his hand, a massive fireball flew toward the barrier. But the moment it touched the barrier, it popped and vanished like a soap bubble.
He couldn't get in.
"Damn it...!"
After pounding on the barrier several times, Ted groaned and slumped down.
The fact that there was nothing he could do in this situation, despite being the dean, made him clench his teeth.
Then a man's voice came from behind him.
"Hey, Ted. Where's that 200-year-old wine?"
Ted lifted his head and turned around.
"If you say you don't have it, I'll cut you in half."
A silver-haired man appeared, his brown leather coat fluttering as he thrust a wine bottle toward Ted.
His prominent nose and sunken eye sockets gave him a sharp appearance. The well-built muscles and scars visible between his white shirt testified to countless battles he'd fought.
At his waist hung an old but simple and well-maintained sword. The aura naturally emanating from his body indicated he was no ordinary person.
Ted's face lit up.
"I-Isaac!"
The Sword Emperor, Isaac Wolfwood, had arrived at the academy.
Rank 4-with his exceptional swordsmanship, he could easily break through this situation.
"Wine."
When Isaac frowned and spoke, Ted hesitated.
Wine. A premium vintage aged 200 years.
It wasn't that he hadn't prepared it.
The problem was that it was currently inside the academy.
When Ted subtly pointed his finger toward the inside of the barrier, the Sword Emperor clicked his tongue briefly and approached the barrier.
"...This is such a pain. What is this now?"
"Demons-"
"What? Deeeemons?"
Isaac lightly felt around the barrier with his hand.
"..."
Isaac's eyes narrowed, and his expression turned serious in an instant.
Soon.
He drew the sword from his waist.
-Shhhing!
The blade flashed with a sharp sound.
At that moment.
The surrounding air swirled and wrapped around his sword. Just from releasing his aura, the area trembled.
Though he was an eccentric among eccentrics-a heavy drinker with a difficult personality-there was one thing everyone in the world acknowledged.
His skill alone was truly exceptional.
A flash like lightning-a single stroke!
-Ping!
In the blink of Ted's eye, Isaac's sword was pointing toward the ground.
A thin line of light formed at the center of the barrier, then smoothly vanished.
The barrier tilted slightly at an angle.
Crrrack-!
Like flesh tearing apart, space began to split open.
It was the first time he'd witnessed Isaac's skill with his own eyes. He had cleaved the barrier in a single strike.
'This is the Sword Emperor...!'
Ted swallowed hard as he watched Isaac.
Shouldering his sword, Isaac hummed a tune as he walked into the Academy. When he turned back, the split was already rapidly mending itself, sealing back together.
"What are you doing? Not coming in?"
"...Ah!"
Ted, who had been staring blankly, hurriedly entered through the barrier.
* * *
Meanwhile, deep within the old castle underground.
Henrik faced Nebiross. Nebiross's eyes brimmed with interest.
"Impressive, Henrik. Carlo was quite the formidable fighter among humans, and you defeated him?"
"......."
Henrik glared at Nebiross.
'Nebiross.'
Since his regression, this was his second encounter with a Demon King.
"Carlo would have made excellent material for a Death Knight... But well, never mind."
A cold smile crossed her lips.
"You're far more interesting than Carlo anyway. What exactly are you?"
As Nebiross finished speaking, two Death Knights emerged from the darkness with heavy footsteps. Their faces were hidden in shadow beneath their hoods, but the aura radiating from the knights was extraordinary.
'Death Knights.'
Henrik's expression soured slightly.
Death Knights were, in essence, skeleton knights. Like the difference between commoners and knights, they were on an entirely different level from simple skeleton soldiers or undead. Since they were created by painstakingly reviving knight-class beings of at least Rank 3 or higher, many became even stronger than they were in life.
'Two of them.'
Two Death Knights.
The Death Knight on the left emanated power approaching Rank 4.
'It's been raised for quite some time.'
It must have been a formidable warrior in life.
Judging by its strength nearly reaching Rank 4, Nebiross had likely been cultivating this knight since she first arrived at the underground castle.
'Maybe it's fortunate I encountered her at this point...'
Henrik felt a relief that wasn't quite relief.
This was Nebiross's terrifying ability.
While Nebiross's personal power wasn't particularly great, the Death Knights she personally raised became far more powerful than ordinary Death Knights.
Moreover, the Death Knights she cultivated grew stronger over time.
Glancing back, he saw various magic beasts and undead soldiers surging forward like a tidal wave behind the Death Knights.
"Henrik."
At William's call, Henrik nodded slightly.
"Buy me some time."
"...I'll take the right side."
As William dashed toward the right, Oliver turned to Henrik with a hardened expression.
"Professor Henrik, let's survive this."
Whether feeling deep responsibility for this situation, Oliver wore the expression of someone resolved to die. The moment Oliver moved left, Henrik urgently raised his weapon and took his stance.
One of the Death Knights charged at Henrik.
-Crash!
The heavy greatsword slammed into the ground. It was a Death Knight clad in pitch-black hood and sharp armor.
"Hendel."
As Nebiross issued commands like moving chess pieces, the Death Knight raised its greatsword and charged at Henrik again.
-Boom! Whoosh! Clang! Crackle!
Henrik gritted his teeth as he blocked the knight's attacks with his hammer handle.
The strikes were incredibly heavy.
Wooong-
The Sephirum at the end of the handle glowed, weakening the Death Knight-its natural enemy-making it just barely manageable.
"Toben."
Watching this, Nebiross sent the second Death Knight toward Henrik.
-Boom!
The Death Knight ambushed from behind, swinging its sword. It maintained its stance and continued slashing. Swish! The sharp blade grazed Henrik's bangs.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-!
After several exchanges, Henrik focused on the one wielding the greatsword.
'The one behind is relatively weaker.'
This Death Knight seemed to have been created recently.
Moreover, it used a familiar sword style, making its feints easy to evade.
'Imperial Swordsmanship.'
In his previous timeline, Nebiross had caused havoc by desecrating the graves of various great figures and heroes, even kidnapping knights active on battlefields to turn them into Death Knights.
It wasn't particularly strange that one would use Imperial Swordsmanship.
"Henrik!"
At Oliver's shout, Henrik glanced back to see several magic beasts breaking away from the horde and charging toward him.
Intruders had crashed into his precarious tightrope walk of holding off two Death Knights.
-Crunch!
"Gah!"
As one magic beast bit into Henrik's leg, blood seeped out.
Seizing the opening, a Death Knight's sword shot toward Henrik's forehead.
Henrik barely twisted his head to dodge the blade. He vividly felt the metal graze his neck.
Deflecting the greatsword, Henrik surveyed his surroundings-the number of encroaching magic beasts had increased further.
Henrik cursed under his breath, tension mounting.
This was a crisis.
"N-no...!"
William shouted, trying to rescue Henrik, but the horde of magic beasts surrounded and pressed him hard.
"Gah...!"
With both William and Oliver pinned down, Nebiross grinned, certain of victory.
Nebiross spread both arms, unfurling a magic circle.
Churning red mana coalesced into a single crimson fireball. Henrik recognized this spell.
It was the magic Professor Bena had used.
Had the magic she obsessed over so desperately belonged to Nebiross all along?
Nebiross moved her hands as if conducting an orchestra, swelling the fireball even larger.
Then the fireball left her hand.
'Dangerous!'
It was rushing in too fast.
Sensing the crisis, Henrik bit his lip.
He couldn't handle both the magic and the attacks.
Just then-
-Ping!
With a sharp slashing sound, someone dropped down from above with a thud!
A small streak of light flashed and vanished, and the blazing fireball split in half, melting away into the air without a trace.
"Who the hell!?"
As the being who had annihilated her magic in one strike appeared, Nebiross showed a flustered reaction.
Thud-
Spotting the person who had lightly landed from above, Henrik's eyes widened slightly.
The stinging smell of alcohol.
Who would have thought this scent, which once made him grimace, could be so welcome?
Sword Emperor Isaac Wolfwood.
He had revealed himself here.
Isaac pulled out a green bottle, popped the cork with a thunk, and gulped down the liquor.
"Ahhh... definitely a 200-year-old wine."
After savoring the drink, he suddenly looked up at the ceiling and shouted.
"Ted! Don't forget your promise! Solve this mess and I get a 100-year-old Rishar Enessia!!!"
Isaac smacked his lips, raised his sword, and looked at the demon before him.
It had a human body, but its lower half was an enormous snake. A grotesque demon that looked as if a human had been embedded in a snake's forehead.
"Am I too drunk? What a weird-looking demon."
"...It's the Sovereign of Necromancy."
"You're..."
Henrik slipped through the gap created by the halted Death Knight and stood beside Isaac.
Isaac glanced over Henrik.
"A Hunter?"
"..."
"A Rank 3 going toe-to-toe with that thing? Without a weapon? Impressive!"
Isaac slapped Henrik's back in a friendly manner. He seemed drunk, and indeed, he was thoroughly intoxicated. Yet his eyes scanning the surroundings remained sharp and precise.
"Toben!"
At Isaac's appearance, Nebiross hurriedly summoned her Death Knights. But Isaac reacted first.
Ping! Once again, a small light flashed.
His gaze was still on Henrik.
However-
-Clang!
The Death Knight that had swung its greatsword split apart and collapsed, tumbling across the floor.
Sensing something from him, Nebiross immediately pulled back and retreated.
The undead soldiers also surrounded her, taking a defensive stance.
Watching Isaac's swordsmanship, which Henrik could barely follow with his eyes, his heart pounded.
Breathtaking swordplay.
Truly befitting one of the few humans in the world who had reached the Rank 5 realm.
Even now, 10 years in the past, he was undeniably a powerhouse.
"Who are you?"
At Nebeross's question, Isaac glanced over and said.
"Snakes should stay quiet, unless you want to be pickled in snake liquor."