novelraw Chapter 265
Chapter 265
Chapter 265. Working Behind the Scene (3)
Arriving at Fulcurn's house, Uruhar surveyed the surroundings.
Even though he hadn't seen with his own eyes that the "Demon God's Horn" was stored there, an eerie atmosphere flowed around Fulcurn's mansion.
Watching the scene, Uruhar pulled up his hood.
'...... Hmm.'
While working for the 'Black Knight'.
Though he resolved to proceed with tasks to spread its fame, he couldn't help but feel tense.
Previously, when they attacked the carriage, it had nothing to do with the 'Imperial Family', but this time, he was scouting a noble's mansion. And not just any noble: one closely related to "Fourth Prince Eulsis."
'If my face gets known or this incident gets discovered.'
It was clear there would be a significant problem.
If the "Imperial Knights" opposed the Prince, especially defying an order from Eulsis, who could be said to be closest to the current 'Emperor', the repercussions would be unimaginable.
In the worst-case scenario, he might not even be able to preserve his life.
'Even so, he moves.'
Everything is for the sake of honoring the 'Black Knight'.
Before he died, to leave even a small trace that he once lived.
With renewed determination, Uruhar crossed the wall of the mansion.
Although wearing a hood that obscured his face in the dark night, Uruhar carefully climbed the wall, ensuring his clothes did not flutter as if he knew the act he was committing was against the "Rules."
'According to Fulcurn's mansion's blueprints, there should be an empty room around here.'
To be exact, it wasn't an "empty room" but a location that wasn't properly marked on the "blueprints."
Perhaps Fulcurn had two architects to keep the secret safe when building the mansion, but Uruhar had not failed to uncover this.
'Whew.'
Exhaling a deep sigh, his breath began to mist slightly.
'Once my mind is made up.'
He intended to finish quickly.
He would uncover the secrets of Fulcurn's mansion and the location of the "Demon God's Horn" and bring the results to the Black Knight.
'That's all there is.'
With that thought in mind, Uruhar entered the mansion.
***
I watched Uruhar hesitate while loitering near Fulcurn's mansion and thought.
'He wouldn't go inside.'
It was a thought close to certainty. After all, the idea of an "Imperial Knight" intruding on a noble's mansion without authorization seemed strange.
'Unless acting under an order from the Imperial Family, they wouldn't budge.'
That's an Imperial Knight. Although there are free-moving maniacs like 'Kikubad', most "Imperial Knights" strictly adhere to rules.
I was only watching Uruhar with a "just in case" mindset.
'Causing a commotion needlessly may result in trouble spilling over here.'
There aren't many who might covet the "Demon God's Horn" across the entire capital.
Especially those thinking of snatching the horn that Eulsis kept would be even rarer.
'My perspective prefers to move as cautiously as possible. Fighting is only a last resort.'
With that thought, I glanced at the hesitating Uruhar.
He seemed not to have a mind to go beyond the line, seeing how he dallied.
At that moment.
'This crazy guy.'
Uruhar pulled up his hood. As if intending to cover his 'face'.
'...... Is he planning to impersonate the Black Knight again?'
Yet from his actions, it seemed as though Uruhar had made up his mind.
'Demon God's Horn.'
He intended to confirm its location, secure it, and deliver the horn to the 'Black Knight'.
'I never imagined he'd actually go through with it.'
Luckily, my heart didn't race as much as I feared it might.
It felt correct, knowing I showed up here anticipating such a situation.
'Ultimately.'
I just need to avoid getting discovered.
***
Finding the secret room not marked on the blueprints was not particularly difficult.
After glancing around the mansion's exterior once, Uruhar cautiously opened a window and entered.
There were no signs of life. With Fulcurn now in Yulian's grasp, it seemed there was no reason for the staff to remain in the mansion.
'If not.'
The mansion's appearance was merely a smoke screen: it was actually just a place to hide the 'Demon God's Horn'.
Indeed, the furnishings arranged in the mansion were desolate. It had a feeling of a place made to look like a "home" rather than being an actual 'home'.
'Ominous.'
Though a bad feeling arose from it, Uruhar moved towards the more inner parts.
The secret room's location marked on the blueprints was beneath. Uruhar continued to survey the surroundings.
'I've experienced such structures with secret rooms many times before.'
Most tasks executed secretly by the Imperial Knights are related to the "dark" side. Investigating hidden rooms like this was something Uruhar could do effortlessly, and finding it didn't take much time.
Creak──.
Turning aside a picture frame hanging on the wall, he heard the sound of machinery moving.
A section of the wall moved, revealing stairs descending below, which caught Uruhar's eye.
Naturally stepping onto the stairs, Uruhar descended.
"Hm?"
What caught his eye was an eerie room resembling a prison.
The peculiar point was the "Resonance Stones" piled around to form an actual 'barrier'.
'...... As expected.'
And in the center lay a large horn that seemed to belong to the 'Demon God'.
One of the four existing Demon God's Horns.
Unlike what Flugel was researching in the Magic Tower, this one's "demonic energy" seemed to be activated, with purple ooze dripping around it.
What neutralized it were the Resonance Stones.
'So this is why a lot of resonance stones were needed.'
It was such dreadful demonic energy that Abigail couldn't handle alone and needed to be directly requisitioned from the Magic Tower.
'What on earth do they plan to do with this horn?'
No matter how much he thought, the activated "Demon God's Horn" didn't seem like it would be used for any normal purpose.
As the "Black Knight" said, it would be used either for the resurrection of the "Demon God" or worse, for some sinister purpose.
"Damn bastards."
Uruhar cursed.
For someone who thought even harboring malicious thoughts was mentally taxing, the act of cursing instinctively furrowed his brows.
'For what did I even.'
Serve the Imperial Family?
In hindsight, there were no people in the Imperial Family working for the subjects' interests.
Those who disguised their greed as patriotism with grandiloquent words: trash like the ones who owned this mansion, Fulcurn.
Neither was he any different.
'But realized.'
The Imperial Family was.
Now, as Eulsis seized power after the Emperor's fall, the Imperial Family was no place for him to serve.
Where I aim now is──.
"Tsk, I've seen something bad."
Suddenly startled by the words he heard.
Even though he was briefly distracted, the voice from behind indicated its presence without Uruhar even being aware of it.
Quickly drawing his sword, he swung it in the direction of the voice.
Thunk──!
"Ugh......!"
However, before that, a sword was already lodged in Uruhar's right shoulder.
The volcano-like pain surged through his body. At the same time, the voice's owner pushed the sword embedded in his shoulder even deeper, preventing him from swinging the sword by twisting his body.
'This guy.'
He's no ordinary individual.
Enduring the pain, Uruhar tossed his held sword into the air and caught it in reverse grip.
Following that, he drew the sword from his shoulder and swung the reverse-grip sword, but the strike only sliced through air.
The voice had already distanced itself sensing his attack.
"To think you'd counter by pulling the sword embedded in your shoulder. For someone hiding their face, it's quite a tough method."
Uruhar confirmed the identity of the voice. A familiar face.
Given that they were part of the same 'Imperial Knights', it was no wonder Uruhar wouldn't forget.
"...... Kikubad."
The senior-most Imperial Knight.
Simultaneously a bearer of the title "Sword Saint" from the previous generation.
With his white hair hanging low, he swept it back and said.
"Ho, you recognize me? That's unexpected. Rare these days to find someone who remembers my face."
With Kikubad's words, Uruhar pressed his hood down even more firmly.
Seeing Kikubad within the Imperial Knights was indicative that the "Demon God's Horn" was definitely being kept by Eulsis.
No longer would he pledge loyalty to the current 'Imperial Family'.
'Is this the end?'
The wound on his shoulder hurt. No, even without the shoulder injury, Uruhar had no confidence in defeating Kikubad.
Now that the Sword Saint is gone.
No, perhaps even before the Sword Saint passed, Kikubad was undeniably the greatest swordsman produced by the Empire.
'I must...... surrender.'
Now that Kikubad took the only exit, there appeared to be no way to survive here.
Though he loathed the idea of surrendering to the current 'Imperial Family', staying alive was the priority.
As he contemplated and was about to remove his hood.
"Tsk, then, are you the rumored Black Knight yourself?"
Hearing "Black Knight" spill from Kikubad's lips, Uruhar halted.
At this moment, if he were to remove his hood and reveal his identity, the "Black Knight" would be known as him, "Imperial Knight"
Uruhar.
'And that's not all.'
Despite posing as a hero opposing the Imperial Family's misdeeds, the rumor would spread that the "Black Knight" surrendered the moment his life was threatened.
'Even if I deny it.'
Uruhar knew no one would believe otherwise.
'...... Damn it.'
Cursing inwardly once more, Uruhar evaluated his situation.
It was just a simple admiration.
Blinded by his noble ideals, he was drawn to them.
Just because one follows ideals, there was no guarantee of becoming that oneself.
Would he wager his life to prevent the reputation of such a 'Black Knight'.
An idol(偶像), from being tarnished?
Uruhar pondered once more.
'More than enough, beyond expectations.'
An unusual sense of elation began to rise. He felt an indescribable joy.
Uruhar fixed his grip on his sword, gazing at Kikubad. His grip on the sword's hilt instinctively tightened.
What had he lived for?
That truth seemed to be proven here.