novelraw Chapter 111 : Chapter 111
Chapter 111 : Chapter 111
Chapter 111: Evan's Wrath
I wasn’t usually one to get angry easily.
Having lived a life full of ups and downs, I had learned to brush off most things with composure.
But even for someone like me, there were a few moments in my life when I felt overwhelming rage.
Those were the times when someone tried to take something precious from me.
It wasn’t just about material possessions like wealth.
It included my comrades, and sometimes even my own life.
And now, at this very moment, what was unfolding before my eyes was a situation that surpassed all of that.
“Just for a single orb, you’d try to kill me? In a time when the kingdom faces an unprecedented crisis?”
My wealth, my life, and even my comrades.
How much rage would I feel toward someone trying to steal everything I had fought to protect?
One thing was clear: even Gaiard, who had been chattering away nearby, raised both hands in surrender, holding his breath and quietly retreating into the shadows.
Crunch.
Gritting my teeth, I slowly raised my head.
The moment Card met the murderous intent in my eyes, he instinctively felt it.
What kind of killing intent…
Before he realized it, his hand had already drawn his sword, aiming it at me.
It was an instinctive reaction to sensing danger.
That’s when it happened.
I suddenly threw the orb toward Card.
“Huh?!”
As the orb flew toward him, Card reached out without thinking.
This, too, was an instinctive move.
The moment he grabbed the orb, he finally noticed my fist, already inches from his face.
It was too late to block.
Boom!
With an impact like a boulder crashing down, three or four of Card’s teeth flew out of his mouth as his body was flung backward.
But he stubbornly refused to let go of the orb.
I… I have to escape.
Clutching his bleeding nose, Card frantically pushed through the trees and started running.
Panting heavily, he glanced back, but I was nowhere to be seen.
Letting out a sigh of relief, he turned forward—only to lock eyes with me, standing in his path.
With a face filled only with cold rage, I swung my fist again.
Card, in response, swung his sword at me.
No matter how strong you are, you can’t block my sword barehanded…
I caught the blade with the hand I had been swinging.
The sword dug into my palm, blood dripping down, but my grip didn’t waver.
This is impossible! Am I being overpowered in Qi? By a kid who just became an adult?
Though Card Laper wasn’t on the level of Duke Theron, he was a lord of the northern territories, trained his entire life.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had dedicated his life to the sword, and he had finally reached the rank of Sword Expert.
Yet now, the sword he had honed his entire life was caught in my grip, unable to move.
The meaning of this was clear.
In raw strength, in Qi, I was completely overpowering him.
“That’s impossible!”
Card summoned every ounce of strength he had, trying to wrench his sword free.
His sword aura scattered chaotically, losing its form, as he put everything into it, but the hand gripping his sword didn’t budge.
My own Qi was surging, fueled by my erupting rage.
“With skills like this, you thought you could kill me and take the orb?”
Card couldn’t answer.
My powerful fist smashed into his face, and he collapsed backward, blood spraying from his face.
“Gah!”
As Card’s body bent backward, about to fall, I grabbed his sword hand and yanked him up.
Without hesitation, I drove another fist into his face.
Thud!
In a final act of desperation, Card drew a hidden dagger from his waist and aimed for my throat.
“Die…”
But with an expressionless face, I caught the incoming blade with my bare hand.
With a single squeeze, the dagger’s blade snapped uselessly.
Then, I drove the broken blade into Card’s throat.
“Guh… guh!”
Clutching his bleeding throat, Card fell to his knees.
“Haa…”
With his last strength, he looked up at me.
To think I waited this long… only to die at the hands of this young brat…
He realized too late that his greed for the orb had been his downfall, but that realization was nothing more than belated regret.
At least I’m not bitter. If I can’t have it, neither can those other branch family bastards…
With that thought, Card collapsed forward and breathed his last.
I looked down at his body with a cold gaze, then picked up the orb that had fallen to the ground.
“Phew…”
A moment later, Gaiard, who had been hiding in the shadows, slowly stepped forward.
“It’s only natural that a treasure like that would attract many greedy eyes. Still, you got more worked up than necessary.”
At Gaiard’s words, I silently stared at the orb in my hand for a moment.
“…Let’s go.”
“What about this guy’s body?”
“I haven’t thought about it. I didn’t expect something like this to happen.”
“Hmm, in that case…”
Gaiard gave a short reply and lightly kicked Card’s corpse.
Then, with a swift turn, he slashed the body to pieces with his claws in an instant.
“This should make it look like he was attacked by feral dogs. Consider it a thank-you for the entertaining show.”
“That’s not what people call a thank-you in human society.”
“Do I look human to you?”
“…No.”
Having calmed my anger and excitement, I lifted Card’s body and placed it on his horse.
Mounting the saddle, I immediately spurred the horse into a gallop, with Gaiard quietly following behind.
“Let’s say he was killed by feral dogs. What’s the plan after that?”
“I’ll have to think about it while we move. This was completely unexpected.”
When we arrived at the designated rendezvous point at the edge of the forest, the cavalry was waiting.
Seeing my blood-soaked appearance, the soldiers were startled and rushed toward me.
“Young Count! What happened?”
“Young Count, are you alright?”
Moments later, they were even more shocked to see the mangled corpse of Viscount Card on the saddle.
Some among the soldiers wore hardened expressions, clearly shaken.
At that moment, Viscount Argon, who had arrived with the western army, stepped forward and demanded, “Explain what happened!”
With a heavy and sorrowful expression, I bowed my head and answered.
“The viscount tried to save me from feral dogs when I let my guard down, and…”
“My God, how could such a thing… A warrior of Viscount Card’s skill, taken down by mere feral dogs?”
Knowing Card’s skill and reputation well, Argon couldn’t easily accept his death.
But I calmly showed him the deep wounds on Card’s body and continued my explanation.
“You’re right. With his skill, he wouldn’t have met his end in a place like this. But he threw himself into danger without hesitation to save me, and that was his downfall.”
My own body was covered in blood and dirt, a complete mess.
“If I had been a little more careful, the viscount wouldn’t have died like this…”
The lord and the soldiers, seeing the wounds on Card’s body and my anguished expression, didn’t doubt my words.
More importantly, the two of us had never met before, and there was no reason for either to bear a grudge, so no one could suspect the truth.
But.
The viscount was with Young Count Evan? And he died trying to save him?
Gennard, the viscount’s closest aide and a knight of his domain, didn’t fully believe my story.
Though he didn’t show it on his face due to the lack of clear evidence, his heart was filled with suspicion.
It must be that pale figure traveling with Evan who harmed the viscount.
Meanwhile, I carefully observed those showing subtle reactions, staying on guard.
Noticing that other soldiers had sustained injuries as well, I spoke to Viscount Argon, who would now lead the unit in Card’s place.
“Viscount, we should regroup here. We need to scout the area to check for any other traps.”
To alleviate the soldiers’ accumulated fatigue, I suggested resting and setting up camp.
Viscount Argon, unable to hide his own exhaustion, readily agreed.
“That’s a good idea. I’ll organize a scouting party to patrol the area.”
“We should also send scouts to assess the situation in the capital. It’s not far, so we should prepare in advance.”
“A sound plan. After we’ve properly tended to Viscount Card’s body, everyone should rest for a while.”
“Yes, understood.”
Amid the somber atmosphere, the cavalry found a suitable spot nearby and began preparing to camp.
At the same time, Card’s body was carefully wrapped in cloth, and a rider was sent to return it to his domain.
After a brief but solemn farewell, Viscount Argon ordered everyone to rest.
In the brief respite, the exhausted soldiers leaned against their gear and quickly fell asleep, and soon a deep silence settled over the camp.
But in that stillness, Gennard, the viscount’s closest aide, secretly gathered his men and began plotting something in private.
“With the viscount gone, we need to stick together now.”
Gennard tried to rally the shaken knights’ resolve.
But human hearts don’t always bend to one’s will.
“What about our pay, then?”
“When the war’s over and we return, how will Lady Laper treat us…?”
Most of the knights were more concerned about their own survival than the viscount’s death.
Finally, unable to stand it, Gennard snapped quietly.
“Is that really what matters in a situation like this?”
“It does matter.”
“Exactly. You know how greedy Lady Laper is, don’t you?”
Unable to refute his men’s words, Gennard closed his eyes.
At first, he had thought mourning the viscount’s death and rallying those left behind was the priority.
But even he was starting to be consumed by thoughts of a future without a master.
“That’s why… That’s why we need to pull ourselves together. If we can at least get our hands on that orb… it’ll open a path for us.”
At that very moment, I appeared out of nowhere, casually slipping into their midst.
“What are the viscount’s knights discussing in such a secluded spot?”
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
“…”
“The mood’s a bit strange, isn’t it? You weren’t talking behind my back, were you?”
I smiled lightly, tossing out a joke, but Gennard and the knights exchanged wary glances.
Did he overhear our conversation? No, more importantly… how long has he been here?
In the awkward silence where no one dared speak, I broke the ice first.
“Guess it really was gossip. Well, that’s fine. I actually came to share a little secret with you all.”
Gennard asked calmly, “What secret are you talking about?”
I paused for a moment before answering in a steady voice.
“The secret that I killed the viscount.”