novelraw Chapter 20 : Chapter 20
Chapter 20 : Chapter 20
Chapter 20. Rude (2)
"Well then, I'll be counting on you."
"Just trust me, friend. I'll be sure to return with Iris."
Rude and Noemi climbed onto the dragon's back.
Soon, the dragon carrying the two of them soared powerfully and disappeared into the sky.
I watched their receding figures in silence until they completely vanished from my sight.
Adel, standing next to me, spoke with an apologetic face.
"I'm sorry, Father. It's all because of me……."
"Don't worry about it. It was also ridiculous for a lord to be away from his domain for a long time."
"Still……."
It seemed Adel wanted to say something more, but I shook my head, cutting her off.
Anonymous chuckled and threw in a word.
"Being a noble is tiring in many ways."
"As it is a position that stands above others, one is not free from responsibility and duty."
"Hmph. It's truly strange that those who are not free are treated better. I really can't understand humans."
She left those words behind and strode into the mansion.
I, too, swallowed my disappointment and headed inside.
In truth, I had agonized a lot before reaching this decision.
It was because Adel had said this to me.
"I am merely a knight, but you are the lord of this place, Father, aren't you? If you leave, who will protect the residents here?"
It was a simple statement, but there was no clearer word than that.
If I left my post, the residents would tremble in anxiety, and it would cause controversy in the kingdom as well.
What's more, that statement was me getting back exactly what I had said to Adel.
‘It's obvious that problems will arise if I leave my post. That would be troublesome.’
In the game, no one cared what Frank did, but this was reality.
Not long ago, an envoy from the king visited and showed me a document permitting this place to become a paradise for dragons.
‘Also, when Jorge died, a royal investigator came and asked all sorts of questions.’
If I were to leave the domain as I pleased to find Iris in this situation, it would cause a huge problem.
Besides, the destination was the Durani Empire, which didn't have a good relationship with the Benedict Kingdom.
If things went wrong, it could even escalate into a diplomatic issue.
‘It's best to leave Iris to Rude and Noemi, and spend time with Adel. In fact, now might be the chance to get closer to her.’
The remnants of the old demon tribe that I was worried about disappeared without a sound thanks to Noemi's efforts.
To think she would eliminate the enemy in one fell swoop using ancient magic.
‘Around this time, I couldn't even think of entering the ancient ruins due to level restrictions, but unexpected things just keep happening.’
I couldn't quite believe the fact that Noemi had done this voluntarily, even though I hadn't raised her myself.
It felt like scenes that should appear in the latter half were already rearing their heads.
‘Still, thanks to that, I'm relieved.’
From now on, it would be more important to prepare for the next stage, step by step.
The appearance of the new demon tribe was not far off, so I would need to train Adel even more.
If the old demon tribe were minor villains, the new demon tribe were the true masterminds of this world.
‘The real thing starts now. Let's get a grip and stay on guard.’
I mulled over how I could get closer to Adel.
***
Lately, Adel couldn't look her father straight in the face.
It was because she felt her one remark had tied him down to this place.
‘If I hadn't said that, Father might have already persuaded Iris and returned here.’
Although he had lost his strength, there was no one as experienced as her father.
He was the former hero who had subjugated the Demon King.
A familiar voice reached Adel's ears as she sighed and was lost in thought.
It was Ceps.
There was no complainer like Ceps.
Sometimes, his complaints went beyond that to strange demands.
Adel let it in one ear and out the other.
On the other hand, An, who was also female, offered warm advice.
An felt like a friend of the same gender.
Iris and Noemi were also of similar age, but the distinction between older sister and younger sister was clear, so they didn't feel like friends.
The residents of Rarc Village treated her as 'the lord's daughter' or 'the child of God,'holding her in high esteem, so it was difficult to open her heart to them.
‘Thanks to An, I feel a little more at ease.’
As she was chatting with An like that, Alvarez approached and spoke to her.
"Are you alright?"
"Huh? What is it?"
Alvarez asked with a puzzled face.
"It looked like you were talking to someone since a while ago."
Adel gave a bitter smile and shook her head.
‘I can't tell him that I am the master of Anceps. This is the Demon King's sword.’
Alvarez lost his younger brother to the demon tribe.
She didn't know how he would react if he found out that the sword next to her was a demonic sword.
Adel quickly changed the subject.
"How's work? Is it manageable?"
"Yes, there are no inconveniences. This is our hometown, after all."
He emphasized the word 'our' in particular.
"That's a relief. If you have any difficulties, let me know anytime."
Alvarez nodded and was about to turn his back when he saw a withered flower nearby and asked.
"The flower has completely withered, shall I clear it away?"
For some reason, he didn't particularly like this flower.
Adel waved her hand and said.
"Just leave it."
"But a withered flower is not even for ornamental purposes……."
"Alvarez."
"Yes?"
"It's fine, so leave it."
At her firm tone, Alvarez flinched and left.
Watching his receding back, Adel thought.
‘Alvarez is a good person, but his rigidness is his downfall.’
For some reason, after passing the knight exam, he seemed overly obsessed with her, which sometimes gave her the creeps.
‘He wasn't like that originally.’
Adel smacked her bitter lips, wanting to finish her shift quickly and go home.
In the past, she hadn't wanted to go home, but not anymore.
That was because her new swordsmanship master, Anonymous, was there.
‘Master's mouth is harsh, but her skills are the best.’
With him, she felt like she was growing every day.
It was harsh training, but her body, which had been trained by her father, could endure it.
‘After finishing my training with Master, I'll be able to become even stronger.’
Adel thought so and steeled her resolve once more.
She could feel it keenly after becoming the master of Anceps.
That she was still just a novice.
That she was still a long way from catching up to even her father's heels.
***
Meanwhile, Rude and Noemi, who had flown near the Durani Empire on a dragon, got off at a suitable place and sent the dragon back.
The dragon was large and conspicuous, so there was a high risk of being spotted by the imperial guards.
While walking down the road in disguise, Rude, who was in the lead, stopped in his tracks and brought up an unexpected topic.
"Noemi, I want to confirm your skills."
With those words, he suddenly stretched his hand towards the sky.
A low, calm voice echoed like a reverberation.
"Flames, pour down from the sky like rain!"
Then, from the clear, cloudless sky, a rain of fire poured down as if it would.
It was the 5th rank flame magic, Fire Rain.
But Noemi moved naturally without a single change in expression.
As if she had expected this.
A clear and serene voice, contrasting with Rude's, resonated from her lips.
"Wall of light, protect my front."
A transparent light rose before her like a barrier.
The rain of fire hit the barrier and scattered in all directions.
A ceaseless downpour of fire and a magic shield that blocked it.
The scene, with its explosions and smoke, resembled a battlefield.
How much time had passed?
In the midst of the rain of fire no longer falling.
Rude's lips curled up.
Noemi's lips curled up along with his.
"Not bad. But it's still not enough."
"With 5th rank magic, you won't be able to put a single scratch on me."
"Hoot. Then how about this?"
Rude flicked his fingers and activated magic in succession.
"Earth, rise!"
Sharp rock pillars shot up from the ground towards Noemi.
That wasn't the end of it.
"Storm, swallow the enemy before you!"
A sudden strong wind whipped up dust and debris, bearing down on Noemi.
But Noemi, once again, focused on defense instead of counterattacking.
The ground split as if a bombardment had occurred, and dust rose thickly.
Just how much time had passed?
Despite Rude's continuous attacks, Noemi didn't even flinch.
The exchange, which showed no signs of stopping, ended when Rude stopped his hand.
As smoke settled low on the ground and the aftermath of the exploded magic scattered like dust, Rude spoke.
"Amazing. I've rarely seen such a defense even in the fight against the Demon King."
"You praise me too much, Master."
"Hoot. Did you already know I would attack?"
"Yes."
Rude dusted off his hands and sat down on the ground.
The only proper ground was beneath his and Noemi's feet.
The rest was so severely destroyed that it was hard to find its previous form.
He took out a flask from his bosom and drank from it without hesitation.
"Kuh, the liquor tastes good. It's truly a joyous thing to see a disciple's growth."
"That's not the only reason, is it?"
"As expected, you're sharp."
Rude pointed to Akaba, the northernmost fortress city of the Durani Empire visible in the distance, and continued.
"With this much magical power clashing, the Unseen Ones must have noticed us too."
"Was there no other way?"
"Hoo-hoot. There might have been, but I wanted to see how much you've grown."
"Master, you're still as much of a prankster now as you were before."
Rude chuckled and said,
"You've become much more talkative. In the past, you wouldn't say a word when learning magic."
"I've decided that I need to change now."
Noemi's expression was resolute.
"Is it because of Frank?"
"About half of it."
"You've always been like that. Adel and Iris were scared of Frank, but you were different."
Rude brushed off his bottom, stood up, and explained the reason for his actions.
"You said it was a one-time thing, but I wanted to confirm if that was true."
"You're talking about the ancient magic, I see?"
"Yes. When one's life is in danger, everyone is bound to pull out their last card. But you didn't use it. I trust your words now."
Rude was genuinely worried about Noemi.
Ancient magic was powerful, but the risk was just as great.
He had seen countless people fall to ruin after becoming obsessed with that power.
But then Noemi said something unexpected.
"All that Anonymous taught me were defensive magic. In the end, the limit of the attack magic I can use is 6th rank magic."
"What did you say?"
“All the defensive spells I just used against Master were 7th-tier defensive spells taught to me by Anonymous. That’s also why I didn’t use any offensive magic.”
"I wondered why you were only defending, so there was such a reason."
Rude let out a sigh of relief.
‘I can still maintain my dignity as a master for now.’
He had held back, but it was unexpected that he couldn't even touch the hem of Noemi's clothes.
He was the man who had subjugated the Demon King.
And now, wasn't he even being called a sage?
On the other hand, Noemi was merely a child of God, a newcomer whose name was not yet known to the outside world.
‘I don't know if I've gotten old or if Noemi is just out of the ordinary.’
In terms of rank, it was only a one-step difference, but the gap between 6th rank magicand 7th rank magic was enormous.
It would take at least several years to several decades to learn, but Noemi had shown the extraordinary feat of mastering 7th rank magic in just a few days.
No matter that the one who taught her was an ancient dragon, 7th rank magic was not something that could be learned so easily.
'To deploy 7th rank defensive magic so perfectly. It's not much different from the skills I've honed for decades.'
If a little more time passed, the title of 'Sage' would refer not to him, but to Noemi.
‘On top of me, the Sage, she is also learning magic from Anticus, so it's only a matter of time before she surpasses me.’
While he was thinking that.
Suddenly, a man dressed in black appeared before them.
Rude moved in front of Noemi, standing as if to protect her, and asked.
"You've finally graced us with your presence. So, what did Iris say?"
The man in black stood without even minding his clothes fluttering in the wind.
His gaze was cold and deep, sending a chill down one's spine just by looking at him.
He looked back and forth between the two without a word, then spoke in a low voice.
"Follow me."
It was just one phrase, but it contained an authority that could not be disobeyed.
Rude muttered to himself.
‘This man, he's no simple Unseen One. There's something more.’
Rude nodded and whispered lowly to Noemi.
"Don't be too nervous. If it gets dangerous, I'll get you out somehow."
However, Noemi smiled brightly and shook her head.
"It's alright, Master. That won't happen."
"Well, if that's the case, then that's a relief."
Rude was inwardly impressed.
He had pretended to be calm on the outside, but inside he was shriveling with nervousness, yet to think his young disciple would be so composed.
‘As expected, I wasn't the one who got old. Noemi is just out of the ordinary. Tsk.’
Rude clicked his tongue and followed the man.
The closer they got, the more the massive fortress walls made of black stone and the watchtowers soaring high into the sky filled their vision.
Rude felt overwhelmed by the colossal appearance of the fortress, but he didn't show it.
With every step he took, he repeated to himself.
‘I must not show weakness. The opponent is an Unseen One. They are not to be trifled with.’
The man in black operated a hidden metal lever at the base of the fortress wall and then,
"We will enter through here. Stick close behind me and follow."
The narrow, dark secret passage allowed no sound other than muffled footsteps.
The cold air brushed against their cheeks, adding to the tension.
Finally, at the end of the dark corridor, a figure appeared.
The face, bathed in a soft light, was familiar.
The opponent's eyes widened for a moment.
After a flash of surprise, a joyful smile slowly spread across her face.
"It's been a while, Master. And you too, Noemi."
The opponent's identity was none other than Iris.
Frank's second daughter, who had disappeared after running away from home.