novelraw Chapter 196 : Chapter 196
Chapter 196 : Chapter 196
Chapter 196 : The Tail
[I will look into that separately. I'll also convey it to the Royal Family, so for now, please wrap up matters in the Empire well and return.]
The communication with Lian ended like that.
Afterwards, while Imadi conveyed a similar story to the Tower of Spirits, Victon kept his seat, but.
As soon as the party finished all their business, he indicated his intention to leave immediately.
He had merely helped the non-Imperial party use the communication center, which was a government facility.
“Thanks for being with me. My subordinates will come here to clean up too. If you leave the country through them, you can be guaranteed a safe return. Or join the Northern King’s side.”
“I’ll pass on that.”
“Then, go back on your own. For now, I don't have the capacity to look after you.”
“I get it. Don't hesitate uselessly, and move decisively when you make up your mind.”
“……Understood. See you again.”
“Yeah, see you.”
With that farewell, Victon flew away towards the south and disappeared with a WHOOSH.
His figure literally becoming smoke and vanishing like the wind was impressive no matter when I saw it.
“Ahem. I couldn't say it to his face, but it's truly fascinating. Is that possible with Corporeal Arts?”
“No. Probably only that guy can do it. I do envy him though.”
“……Muno-nim envies someone?”
“Well, you know, hmm……. Whatever, yeah. One should be satisfied with what they have.”
“You'll be punished if you say things like that…….”
Looking at Lauel’s expression, it seemed like excessive greed indeed.
True, no matter how ghost-like the trait is, it cannot compare to Demon Devourer.
Still, I do want to fly. Tsk.
“Ahem. Anyway, should we move separately now too?”
“You aren't really intending to go back, are you?”
Muno smirked at Imadi’s words.
“Of course not. We came all this way, we can't just leave.”
“As expected, I knew your mind would be the same as mine.”
The Seven-Star Spirit Master who received a terminal diagnosis(?) responded enthusiastically to those words.
However.
“But what do you plan to do? Join the Northern King’s inspection team?”
“Of course not.”
“Then?”
“Don't we have a justification? That we are a delegation here to chase the Evil cult.”
“It feels like that justification just left us a moment ago though.”
At Imadi’s worry, Muno grinned and looked at Lauel.
“Tracking, is it possible?”
“Yes. He pretended to be dead for quite a while, but now he's starting to move.”
At Lauel’s answer, Imadi looked at them with eyes that didn't understand what was going on.
* * *
“Huff, huff.”
The High-ranking Magic Knight, Rexter, gasped for breath as he recalled the dizzying memory of the previous day.
The monster that pounced on the carriage in an instant like smoke.
The monster that caused the subsequent massive explosion.
Even the monster that turned his superior and contract broker, Garrett Hampson, into ash in an instant.
Still, he was lucky.
Because as many as three strokes of luck overlapped at once.
The arrow shot by the most ordinary-looking woman among the attackers narrowly missing his vital point in the neck was the first luck.
The fact that he possessed traits related to regeneration and endurance was the second luck.
And the third luck was that the iron chain monster, who cruelly turned all his comrades into ash, didn't confirm his kill.
No, considering he wasn't buried even though he pretended to be dead for over half a day, maybe it's four strokes of luck.
“You bastards…… just wait and see.”
Stroking the already healed wound where the arrow had been embedded, Rexter moved his feet diligently.
There is one enemy name he knows for sure.
‘Imperial Royal Inspector, did he say Victon Ares? You will see hell.’
To absurdly slaughter a lord following an Imperial command like that.
He will surely pay the price.
There is just one thing bothering me.
‘Ares……. Don't tell me it's that Ares? He seemed like a Corporeal Arts user though?’
No, is turning one's body into wind or smoke really Corporeal Arts? What if it's a technique mixed with magic?
Maybe really…….
‘No, even if it is that Ares, it doesn't matter. What he did is treason!’
Rexter steeled his weakening resolve again and increased his speed.
The destination was clear.
First, go to a city that is close but not adjacent to Hamston and get a horse.
‘An Imperial Royal Inspector does not move alone. His subordinates will be spread out in nearby cities.’
That was also the reason he was currently off the main road and climbing a mountain.
‘I can't just go to any noble. I need a sure ally.’
So I must go to my lord's comrades and convey the situation.
It seems the lord also worried that things might turn out this way.
Judging by how hurriedly he tried to escape.
- Legner has fallen. Perhaps by now Alba too…….
- At this timing, the Emperor's secret order is a very good excuse. We depart with everyone.
Since ‘That Person’ can only be contacted if the lord, who is Elder-class, is alive, I must find another Elder.
‘Legner and Alba must have fallen already. Then…….’
Fortunately, while serving his lord, he had heard about the identity of someone who recently became a close aide to ‘That Person’ and was carrying out secret orders.
If it's that person, they will surely clear the lord's name.
Perhaps they will immediately dispatch people to punish…… No, wait.
‘Leaving aside that magician or the archer, that chain guy looked too dangerous.’
That menacing black armor, and the iron chain that turned comrades into ash in an instant.
It feels like something I heard somewhere recently…….
“Ah!”
Rexter’s sprinting steps halted for a moment.
‘Black Knight! It’s the Black Knight! Iron's New Star, the organization's nemesis!’
When the identity of the terrible chain guy was belatedly deduced, a shiver seemed to run through his whole body.
Anew, not being caught by his chain and getting hit by an arrow felt like a luck that wouldn't come again in life.
‘Black Knight! The Black Knight is in our Empire's land. Then this is an opportunity to achieve merit.’
Knowing well the situation of the organization whose information network was recently paralyzed.
Perhaps this matter won't end simply as revenge but become a stepping stone for success.
Rexter’s steps, which had paused for a moment, began to speed up gradually at that thought.
Without noticing the existence of predators following far behind his back at all.
“To be that dull, isn't he pretending to be deceived?”
Imadi, watching the direction of Rexter fleeing down the mountain, tilted his head.
Muno looked at him with new eyes.
“Don't tell me, you can see him even at this distance?”
Even I can only track him by demonic energy, but this gentleman?
At the gaze containing such a question, Imadi grinned.
“As if I can see him. I feel him through heat.”
“Ah…….”
So that's possible too.
“Anyway, are you really confident he isn't luring us in reverse?”
Lauel answered that question instead.
“When a person survives death, their vision narrows. Their way of thinking becomes narrow too. He probably doesn't have the leeway to think deeply. Especially if he's running on a mountain path in this darkness.”
At her words full of assassin know-how, Imadi nodded.
“Right. Since even a superhuman is still human. Sounds plausible. When did you prepare such a plan?”
“Just because Victon's condition looked so bad, we came up with another move. Lauel’s skill backed it up too. That guy probably doesn't even know Lauel’s mana has permeated him.”
“Because we had a signal agreed upon in advance. Muno-nim instructed well.”
When the two exchanged smiles looking at each other, Imadi intervened with a sly expression.
“You two are quite in sync. Youth is good indeed.”
“N-No, it's not like that…….”
“Stop talking uselessly, and just focus on chasing him.”
Beside the explaining Lauel, Muno blocked the teasing entirely.
“Young folks are no fun…….”
Imadi clicked his tongue and chased after the party.
The tailing continued boringly and long.
The target passed all the cities neighboring Hamston and infiltrated the next city.
That period was a whopping two days.
“Why is a 5-Star level knight so slow?”
“Because Magic Knights are originally knock-offs made with tricks.”
The mana Lauel planted had dissipated by then, and Muno also almost lost the demonic energy of a single Magic Knight because there was too much demonic energy in the city.
Imadi helped in an unexpected place.
“I memorized the target's body temperature. He's coming out that way. Looks like he's riding a horse?”
“Can body temperature be memorized too?”
“Every person has subtle differences. Moreover, that guy is definitely a bit hotter, perhaps because he evolved towards physical regeneration.”
It was a somewhat absurd answer, but tracking became rather plain after realizing that Imadi’s sense of heat transcended common sense.
“Then we can distance ourselves a bit more. I was worried we might be conspicuous on the plains.”
“Well, that is true but…….”
“Then I will escort you.”
CLATTER.
Imadi’s face hardened awkwardly at the iron chain wrapping around his body.
However.
“I will hold you tight, so don't worry.”
Muno grinned and simultaneously began to sprint across the plains as is.
Imadi, dangling in the air hanging on his iron chain, had to struggle not to scream.
* * *
“This can't be, happening!? This can't be…….”
A middle-aged man was pacing in the center of a luxurious office, biting his nails nervously.
It was the news of several families' devastation, which only started to reach him now due to the disrupted information network, that made him like this.
‘Legner, Alba, Hampson, even Tulgren…….’
News of noble families' extermination coming along with the rumor that the Northern King began cleaning up past ill-fated relationships.
The public was only bewildered unable to find commonalities among those families, but he knew their connection all too well.
Moreover.
‘Legner…….’
When he belatedly received news of the first devastated family, the existence of a ‘Black Knight’ appearing there made him even more anxious.
‘No. It can't be. Top-tier Magic Knights from the Six Magic Towers moved out simultaneously. Unless he is a Seven-Star, he can absolutely never win against them.’
It also makes no sense that Iron's Black Knight suddenly appeared in the Empire.
But the fact that the movement path of that dog-X bastard wasn't properly grasped even in Iron from the start fueled his anxiety.
‘Maybe he fled avoiding the Top-tier Magic Knights…… No, Drasen is too quiet for that.’
Where and what on earth is the disappeared Dark Green Ruler doing.
There were too many variables, so the anxiety wouldn't go away.
The matter of Iron, which the organization put the most effort into and almost overturned the board 10 years ago, eventually ended in failure too.
‘It is fortunate that the matters in Deluna and Trey succeeded at least.’
The fact that chaos broke out in other neighboring countries of the Empire amidst all this was no comfort.
Because it could never be seen as a coincidence.
‘Is it another force of That Person? Or…….’
Even the anxiety that the person he serves might be leading other organizations.
[Merge neighboring kingdoms to establish a new mage kingdom.]
To him, who dreamed of rising to a position below one person and above ten thousand by establishing the Eighth Magic Tower that breaks all existing rules of magic according to That Person's will, it was a series of too anxious events.
‘Should I contact That Person? I feel I should ask, but if I make a mistake…….’
My head might explode.
However, looking at That Person's recent mood, it seemed he might forgive a question for proceeding with work as a manager.
‘Right. Let's ask.’
As soon as he decided.
- Your Excellency!
The sound of knocking on the office door anxiously was heard.
“What is it?”
As soon as he shouted nervously.
- A person claiming to be Sir Garrett Hampson's knight is looking for Your Excellency. Saying he has something urgent to tell…….
An answer that made him snap to attention was heard.