novelraw Chapter 162 : Chapter 162
Chapter 162 : Chapter 162
Chapter 162 : Why Are You Following Me!?
“Do I just have to walk past like this?”
“Yes.”
One of the collateral members of the Aslan family, guided by the knight, glanced at me.
However, it was not easy to read the expression of the Black Knight, who was wearing a menacing black armor and even a helmet, and the brown skin and unfamiliar appearance of the woman standing next to him exuded a strange sense of intimidation.
He simply passed in front of me with a frightened expression, and after coming out without any incident, he let out a sigh of relief.
And in that spot.
“What in the world is going on?”
“I don't know either.”
“What is the grand prince plotting with that Black Knight?”
“He just says to pass within twenty meters, I don’t even know what that means….”
The Aslan family members who had passed before me were all grumbling in unison.
“How devastated the family head must feel if he knew.”
Evan, who was glaring at me from behind as I lined up the Aslan family members for inspection (?), clicked his tongue.
“I believe His Excellency has also been briefed….”
“Shut up. Is it almost over?”
At that question, the Aslan knight standing beside him immediately bowed his head and answered.
“Yes. A few of the family elders have expressed their displeasure and are refusing to come out.”
“……I can't blame them for that. I have no choice but to drag that bastard over to them.”
“But is that really effective? I'm starting to think he just wanted to insult Aslan.”
The knight’s gaze narrowed as he watched me casually glance over the family members passing by.
But Evan shook his head.
“Whether it’s effective or not, it’s enough if he testifies to the royal family with this.”
“Still…”
“Enough. There’s news that the royal investigation team, including the Red Iron Knights, has already departed. We have to finish this before they arrive.”
“Already, sir?”
“Yes. They will surely concoct some non-existent pretext to ransack the family. So for now, do everything the punk asks. Including making that Geron talk.”
“……Geron-ni, no, Geron is demanding his release and a pardon in exchange. His Excellency will not allow it.”
At those words, Evan’s thick eyebrows furrowed once again.
But perhaps he had overheard their conversation.
“If you don't mind, I’d like to entrust that man’s disposal to my colleague here.”
I, having already turned around, interjected, gesturing to Rauel beside me with my eyes.
“Why don't you just focus on the job you’re supposed to be doing?”
“As you can see, there’s no one left to see.”
I shrugged, pointing to the now-empty Great Hall.
“So, what’s your answer?”
“……Do you think we don't know the useful tricks that wench has? And you punk, I think I told you before that you're starting to speak informally again?”
At that, I chuckled and responded in a strange tone that was hard to nitpick.
“If you know the methods Rauel can use, why don’t you just do it yourself?”
“……You want me to feed a truth serum to the family head's brother and turn him into an idiot?”
“Isn’t he a sinner who incited conflict between the princes… right?”
Evan was at a loss as to whether his eyebrows were twitching because of the content of my words or because of that ambiguously informal speech that grated on his nerves.
However, the following words solved his dilemma in one fell swoop.
“I also heard the royal investigation team has departed, but you still seem quite relaxed.”
It was both.
Creak.
‘This little brat…’
How did I end up in a situation where I had to be cautious in front of this punk?
Rage welled up inside me, but my hand no longer readily reached for the sword on my back.
I wanted to teach him a lesson, even if I didn’t kill him, maybe under the pretext of sparring.
But that armor was the problem.
‘That artifact…’
The more I looked at the armor set of the punk, who had been constantly wearing even his helmet since stepping into the family grounds, the more certain I felt that it was no ordinary item.
‘There are no gaps in the joints, and its strength is extraordinary. Where did he get such a thing….’
I had a feeling that I would have to use my full power to shatter that armor and inflict a fatal wound.
I realized that if I used force casually to teach him a lesson, I could end up being utterly humiliated.
‘To think a punk who got famous because of one artifact could be so arrogant….’
But reality was reality.
Grit.
“……I'll ask His Excellency for permission.”
“Well, if you're late, you're the only ones who'll lose out, so do as you please.”
Pretending not to hear the smirking ridicule, Evan swallowed his anger and turned away.
* * *
“As expected, there were no magicians.”
On a night with a waxing moon.
Rauel’s voice echoed softly in the corridor of a large, two-story mansion.
An echo that made it clear they were the only ones inside the grand mansion.
I let out a small sigh at Rauel's words and nodded.
“Mm. This much was expected…”
“You’re bothered by the results of that Geron's investigation, aren't you?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded and looked out the window beyond the corridor.
The mansion was surrounded by knights and soldiers.
For a force meant to protect honored guests, their weapons and gazes were turned inward, not outward.
“We’re not in a position to be at ease here either. We need to finish the investigation as quickly as possible, inform the royal family, and get out of here.”
“You're not going to chase their tracks yourself?”
At those words, my expression hardened slightly.
“……I have to be discerning. If an imperial noble is really involved, me running wild alone will only make the situation worse.”
That is, on the premise that Geron’s daughter’s testimony is true.
If I had my way, I would have liked to use the excuse of being a Free knight to have a sword dance in the empire.
“But His Majesty the King keeps hyping me up as a symbol of the kingdom.”
The excuse of having no affiliation wouldn’t fly.
Besides, even if it were within the kingdom.
‘If the Demon Cult Leader is really in the empire, going there without any preparation could be a suicide mission.’
After the fourth evolution, my confidence in dealing with magicians had solidified even more.
If I were to meet a 6-Circle magician right now, I thought I could probably handle them easily one-on-one.
‘Even if I use that woman as a standard…’
One-on-one would be a landslide victory, and even two-on-one might be possible.
However, seeing the old Dragon Sword geezer, I realized with my whole body that a Seven-Star was a completely different being from those of lower ranks.
‘I can't get caught and killed when I haven't even caught and killed my enemy.’
The Demon Cult Leader, who was surely the man named Exlam from that memory…….
‘……My bloodline.’
I should be more enraged by that fact.
…But I wasn’t.
It would be strange to feel a renewed attachment to biological parents whose faces I didn’t even know, just because one memory of them surfaced.
But this feeling was puzzling even to myself.
The anger that had been boiling up since that vivid experience, even if it was due to the Hydra’s mental attack, was already fading away.
All that remained in its place was a sense of duty to take revenge.
The anger from my childhood trauma was also dissipating, to the point where the instinctive anger toward beings possessing demonic energy felt stronger.
‘Is this, normal?’
My thoughts became complicated, and I was staring blankly out the window again.
A worried voice reached me.
“Sir Muno? Are you alright?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been through a big fight, and because of me, you can't even go back to your hometown….”
“Ah, no. It’s not that.”
Rauel’s words made me start thinking about Drasen.
I pictured the smiling faces of my family.
My warm hometown, so cold it was searing.
Just thinking about it made my chest feel warm, and a smile formed on my lips, dispelling my needless worries.
‘Right. It's probably just because it's such an old memory.’
Even so, a strange unease seemed to linger in a corner of my heart, but that much was bearable.
No matter that this was a fantasy world and my opponents were my sworn enemies, I had fought too many life-or-death battles in the past year.
So, wouldn't it be understandable if my emotions had become a little dull?
Once I had that thought, I was able to clearly decide what to do next.
“After this is over…”
“Yes?”
“Whether it's that noble family or something else, I think I'll stay in Drasen until the royal family gets a definite lead.”
“Ah… Yes, you should.”
It seemed I had stumbled upon the Demon Cult's tail before the royal family, but I had no intention of pulling on it alone.
Now that I was aware that my heart was hurting, no, that I was tired, wouldn't my goal become clearer if I rested a little?
Having organized my thoughts, I casually asked Rauel.
“And you?”
“Yes? I, of course, will follow Sir Muno……. W-wait, am I not allowed to follow you?”
The answer I had been secretly hoping for.
“……Of course not. Of course, it's fine. It's a bit of a cold town, but it's a warm town.”
As soon as I said it, it sounded like nonsense, but Rauel seemed to have understood it somehow.
“Yes. I think it will be!”
Her bright smile seemed to lighten my heart.
As if a pleasant flutter was pushing away the heavy, unsettling worries.
I found myself smiling contentedly and staring at her face.
“Sir Muno?”
“Huh?”
The sight of her tilting her head brought me to my senses.
“Is something wrong…?”
“Ah, no. Sorry. I was just lost in thought.”
At those words, Rauel’s smiling expression suddenly clouded over.
“I'm sorry. You seem very tired. It must be because of me again….”
Oops.
“No, that's not it. That Ghost's Bow or whatever is definitely useful, and just getting Aslan involved in the Demon Cult hunt is reason enough to have come here.”
“Is… that so.”
“Yes. So stop saying you’re sorry. You’ve been a great help, and you’re still helping now.”
“……Yes.”
Rauel’s face flushed at my sincere encouragement, and she bowed her head deeply.
‘She’s cute. Too cute.’
My heart fluttered a little again, and useless delusions threatened to surface.
And yet, something unsettling still lingered in a corner of my heart.
‘It’s not… right?’
I quickly shook my head to clear away the stray thoughts.
Fortunately, just focusing on another topic for a moment seemed to have lightened my heavy heart a little.
“……I hope we get a conclusion soon.”
“Right. If Lenok Aslan has any sense, he'll come to a conclusion right away. For now, let’s sleep. It’s been a tiring day.”
“Yes!”
I smiled back at Rauel's cheerful reply and turned to go back to my room.
But I felt a presence trotting along behind me.
‘Hmph…’
I deliberately changed direction and headed for another room.
Trot, trot, trot.
I came back to my original room.
Trot, trot, trot.
Gritting my teeth, I turned around.
A pretty face stared at me blankly, her eyes asking what was wrong.
Her eyes looked particularly large and clear.
The pitch-black leather clothes that clung to her body, perfect for the night, suddenly became unusually distracting.
“……Why are you following me?”
“Yes? I’m naturally following Sir Muno… right?”
“There are plenty of other rooms next door…?”
“Is there a reason to sleep separately? In case of an emergency, I should stay by Sir Muno's side…”
My face flushed for no reason at Rauel’s bewildered reply.
“No! Sleep in the room next door!”
“Yes? Why so suddenly…?”
“What do you mean, suddenly!”
“We slept next to each other a lot when we were camping…”
“That was that!”
“No, only the location has changed….”
Does she really not know what she’s doing? She should be older than my current self, right?
My face grew hotter, and my voice rose without me realizing it.
“I said don’t follow me!”
“But…”
Hearing Rauel’s flustered voice, I slammed the door shut.
- Ugh, what a fucking idiot….
The voice of my friend from my past life seemed to echo in my head again for some reason, but I tried my best to ignore it.
That night felt particularly long.