novelraw Chapter 181
Chapter 181
Chapter 181. Overtime (1)
"What are you doing right now, Theo...?"
With his entire body pierced by all sorts of weapons and blood flowing out, the weary voice of Schvalt made the Indomitable Knight Commander's face start to light up.
"Schvalt! Just in time! On your way here, didn't you see the executives of the Six Fingers!?"
"Two of them. I came after subduing them."
From what Theo knew, he was quite skilled, though not comparable to him.
But two of the Six Fingers' executives had been subdued.
It wasn't an ordinary feat, yet Schvalt answered with such an obvious attitude.
"I see! Then perhaps... was one of them the escaped executive, Annarui?"
"No."
"Damn it! No wonder these guys are still like this!"
Theo, who had been scuffling with the Unyielding Knights, briefly frowned before bursting into laughter.
"Do me a favor! Find that executive, Annarui!"
There was a limit to knocking out every undead-like member.
If he didn't control his strength well, they could end up dying.
Concealing such thoughts, Theo tried to shout his request in a loud voice, but Schvalt didn't listen and walked down the passageway.
"Damn it! Both Karina and you, commanders are all the same! Oops!"
A former knight of his order approached the whining Theo with a wide-open mouth.
Thud.
With only instincts left, they were incredibly fast.
Holding back tears, Theo struck the knight's neck, knocking him unconscious, and watched the departing Schvalt.
"Even if he's impolite, he's skilled enough, so he'll do well."
Theo continued to grapple with those who 'were' his knights.
***
Separated from Theo, schvalt wandered through the labyrinth and came upon a chaotic battlefield.
'Karina, the Branded Knight Commander?'
Karina, she was known for using a unique weapon called 'Whip Sword'.
A snake-like sword that would bind and pierce its opponent's vital points like a snake's fangs, that was Karina's signature sword technique.
When she fought, whip marks were left all over the place. Not to mention on the opponent.
As expected, after glancing around a bit, he noticed a man seemingly one of the Six Fingers' executives sprawled on the floor, bound by the Whip Sword.
'That one...'
His appearance resembled Locust, the executive Yulian had informed about in the meeting.
"Where's your secret passage! Hurry up and tell me!?"
Naturally, he also saw Karina holding him down.
Karina, who was interrogating Locust with the tip of the sword embedded in his body, wore an utterly furious expression, unlike when they were in the meeting.
"We must chase down that bastard who said he killed Teacher Yulian! Quickly! I'm busy!"
"Yulian... he's dead...?"
"... What?"
Ignoring Karina's gaze, who looked at him as if bewildered by what she heard, schvalt drew the sword fixed at his waist and aimed it at Locust.
"I think I misheard. Yulian... what happened to him?"
As Locust trembled unable to open his mouth under Schvalt's chilling gaze, carlina filled in for him.
"It wasn't him. Another guy said he killed Teacher Yulian."
"... Who?"
"Claude Febrance."
"Hmm."
Schvalt let out a brief sigh.
Claude Febrance, a name he had heard quite a bit, even on a mission together.
How could he not know?
The two knights he killed and fled while doing the 'Blind Eyes' task.
Those two had been from the 'Azure Lion Knights'.
"That means Claude is a member of the Six Fingers."
"Apparently, he seemed to be the boss?"
"That guy said he killed Yulian?"
With a near-inquisitive question, carlina opened her eyes slightly and nodded.
At her answer, schvalt bit his lips, recalling the two in his mind.
Indeed, Claude was strong. However.
'... That relentless guy?'
The image of 'Yulian' smiling slyly, ever with a twinkle in his eyes, being defeated by someone seemed...
'... That could be possible.'
There are many strong people in the world.
Moreover, objectively, if two royal knight commanders gathered, it might be possible to subdue him. Maybe.
But Schvalt couldn't imagine him 'dying'.
'He is someone with unusually tenacious vitality.'
***
"Pant... Pant..."
Despite the overwhelming presence gradually approaching, Lazlot's breath was stuck in his throat, yet he kept running.
"Uwaaaah!"
Thud—!
In the hasty escape, tripping over a protruding stone, Lazlot tumbled noisily to the ground.
'Ugh...'
'That was a foolish move.' Such thoughts swelled in his mind.
Lazlot had preemptively arranged for Yulian to evacuate the orphans just in case something happened.
It was clear nothing would have gone wrong even if he returned like this, but...
Driven by 'what-ifs,' Lazlot returned to the scene of the incident and encountered 'Dantes'.
'A look of urgency and hurried steps heading somewhere.'
Even amidst the storm, recognizing such wasn't difficult.
'Did Sir Yulian fail?'
He was somewhat aware that Yulian was trying to catch Dantes due to faction issues with the 'Dawn Society'.
How things turned out...
What the relationship between the Six Fingers and 'Dantes Christo' was.
'Does it matter if Dantes is let go as he is?'
Whether seen objectively or subjectively, Lazlot recognized his inadequate martial skill.
Though he's a squire for the 'Blind Eyes' to infiltrate 'Imperial Intelligence Agency', he's fully aware that he lacks 'knightly talent'.
'Yeah, just let go.'
Attempting to block Dantes is impossible for him.
Moreover, the man trailing Dantes,
'Is apparently so strong even my incompetent self can tell.'
So, pretending not to know is the right approach.
Work just as much as paid.
As spontaneous emotions dimmed, rational thinking took over inside Lazlot's mind.
With calmer thoughts, unnecessary actions weren't even attempted.
- 'Aren't we companions, shouldn't we cooperate?'
Why did those words keep surfacing?
As a result, he acted recklessly.
"Huff... Huff...!"
Dantes Christo.
That timid man would surely trail along if he revealed himself.
If this gets to High Pontiff Tenelon's ears,
'Being buried alive won't even be a question.'
Though Tenelon is now demented, intrafactional disputes have long been strictly forbidden between Bishops.
Moreover.
'If Dantes is let go as he is, things will be difficult for Yulian.'
If the information relating to the 'Dawn Society' leaks anywhere, those of 'Bishop' rank or higher might all be endangered.
Honestly, it doesn't concern him what happens to others.
Whatever the case. However.
- 'Aren't we companions, shouldn't we cooperate?'
As that line surfaced in Lazlot's mind, he tousled his hair.
But his subsequent actions were unplanned.
'What to do!?'
He had no idea.
Perhaps he could continue fleeing to buy time?
If that were possible...
"Ahhhhh!"
Unexpectedly,
A vile grip clamped around Lazlot's neck.
Instinctively struggling, trying to shake it off, the grip restraining him didn't budge.
"Unnecessary actions indeed."
With trembling vision, Lazlot could perceive the man restraining him.
Strong enough that he couldn't contend with, it was Claude Febrance.
"Why needlessly reveal yourself, bringing this upon yourself? You're unnecessarily wasting our time."
Creek—!
The sound of his neck twisting rang in his ears, and with pain vividly registering, tears began pooling in Lazlot's eyes.
"Good catch, Claude! Quickly finish him and head to where the carriage awaits! We must reach the borders before dawn!"
Arriving afterward, a panting Dantes urged urgently.
"Kuh... Kuhhhk..."
The fiercer Claude's grip tightened, the blurrier Lazlot's vision grew.
Damn, meddling unnecessarily wasn't a wise idea.
"Lazlot, you foolish bastard. Why cling to a guy like Yulian!?"
True.
Had he not done so, none of this would have happened. You're quite right.
"Wasn't it your creed to work just as much as you're paid? Unnecessary..."
"Yes, that's true, Sir Dantes...!"
Clutching Claude's hand, Lazlot, with a trembling voice, barely managed to respond.
"I work exactly as I'm 'paid'... Even now... that's it."
"This worthless death too?"
"Yes...!"
Creek.
Claude's expression wasn't favorably endowed as he began clenching around Lazlot tighter.
Such a young boy yet again causing blood to stain his hands.
But his actions must go unnoticed. Much left undone as of now.
'Huk, huk!'
If it continued, certain death awaited. With such certainty, Lazlot's vision began dimming.
"That's... impossible."
Then suddenly.
Plop!
Unexpectedly, he could breathe again.
As the firm grip squeezing his neck loosened, Lazlot collapsed to the ground.
"Keheuk, cough!"
With air flowing unobstructed, a reflexive cough surged forth.
What exactly transpired...
'To let me survive?'
Boom, crash—!
At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck.
As sparks formed by the discharge between cloud and surface illuminated the world, momentarily,
"... Yulian!?"
That light seemingly illuminated only one.
With a startled outcry from Dantes, Claude stepped forward.
"As expected, still alive. I should've ensured your end at that time."
Hearing Claude, feeling a strangeness creeping in, Lazlot glancingly checked Yulian's condition through bouts of coughing.
Though not easily discerned due to the torrent of rain, his condition appeared dire.
His precarious state seemed likened to being swept away by a waterfall.
"How did you figure out my whereabouts? Though the royal hound's nose is keen, finding me swiftly within the vast capital is impressive."
A sneer laced into Claude's voice, Yulian quietly lifted his hand.
A solid something flew dartingly, which Claude caught in his hand.
***
"... This is."
Pursuing the object in hand with his eyes, Claude recognized at once.
How could he not recognize the mineral he was most familiar with?
'Dark Star Iron?'
The dagger of 'Dark Star Iron' used just before finishing Yulian.
Indeed, this shard of 'Dark Star Iron', from when it was exploded, remained embedded in Yulian.
"...... Madman."
An incredulous chuckle slipped out.
Extracting the 'Dark Star Iron' fragments in his organs, Yulian used it as a 'compass' to find him.
Merely for tracking him, disregarding shredded insides like a relentless demon.
"Pulling it out, risking death would've been a vain death."
Claude expressed his honest sentiment.
"I wonder who exactly made it this way, Claude? You damned bastard."
Even while dying, Yulian's insolent mannerisms remained, but soon unease burgeoned.
"Unlike before, I won't go down easily. Wrapping things up has taken place already."
Despite uttering with nonsensical formality not usually spoken, combined unease swelled.
"Who are you..."
Boom—!
Upon clearing his thoughts, Yulian, eyes vividly red, stood before Claude.
Prior to that, a gem-like glistening sword bayed uneasily.
'... Was this guy, truly, dying earlier?!'
Had instinctive defense not occurred via his unsheathed sword, the lethal blow didn't seem improbable.
One certainty stays affirmed.
The current Yulian contrasts starkly with who he saw previously.
"Heh, heh... Dragging your dying body to avenge the initial defeat?"
"What are you talking about?"
Crrrrr-clang—.
Maintaining clashed blades, Yulian's crimson eyes edged closer.
"This is overtime."