Episode 213 Jeron’s Ordeal (2)
Although a few knights survived the surprise attack and were resisting, it was only a matter of time before they were all eliminated.
Some of the enemies were opening the carriage doors one by one and mercilessly slaughtering those inside, and additional barriers had been set up by the mages, making it impossible to escape without using “In the Hero’s Footsteps”.
Hesperon’s mind raced faster than ever in this crisis.
‘What are they thinking, doing this in the middle of the capital? How are they going to clean up this mess? Are they planning a rebellion?’
Staub, the captain of the Imperial Guard, was definitely neutral… or more precisely, part of the Emperor’s faction, according to the background check he had done.
And he heard that Riley was even trying to win him over.
‘Damn it, I don’t have enough information because he’s been cooped up in the imperial palace. No, the motive doesn’t matter right now! I need to find a solution!’
He could still feel Riley’s emotions through “Bond of Unity”.
It seemed like she was trying various things, as expected of a princess, but her faint hope was repeatedly dashed against something, as if blocked by a wall.‘…Was the thorough preparation he was talking about not about the Immortal King, but about preventing us from escaping?’
It was a hopeless situation, no matter how many solutions he tried to come up with.
But despite that… she wasn’t giving up.
A girl, not even an adult yet, was trying to maintain her composure and keep fighting until the very end, even though she was terrified of the approaching shadow of death.
And if he gave up and retreated first…
‘How pathetic would that be?!’
He was practically the mastermind behind this world, so that would be too embarrassing!
‘I can’t give up without even trying. There’s a possibility.’
But there was one thing he needed to turn that possibility into reality.
Time.
The barrier around the princess’s carriage was about to be completely destroyed, and two knights were approaching his carriage.
It felt too close for comfort, even with his enhanced thinking ability.
-Hannibal Strauss: Tsk, how foolish and inefficient. It’s better for at least one of you to escape than for both of you to die.
-Hesperon: No, I’m just a mid-level mage. My biggest asset is my connection with Riley, the next in line to the throne.
They understood each other by sharing their thoughts, but they couldn’t agree because of the difference in their mindsets.
So Hesperon kindly explained it so that Hans could understand.
-Hesperon: If I escape now, I’ll just be a mediocre mid-level mage. It’s better to gamble. If I succeed, I’ll become the next emperor’s closest aide.
-Hannibal Strauss: Oh—? You have a point. It wouldn’t be difficult to create another one like you at your current level.
-Hesperon: …That hurts.
-Hannibal Strauss: Alright. It’s a waste of time, but it’s worth the risk, considering the potential reward.
-Heinrich: I’ve just finished a battle. I’ll start preparing now. I hope it works. I don’t want anything to happen to the princess.
-Heinz the Second: Hmm, a way to buy time.
-Howard: Wait! Come to think of it, I have something I prepared, it’s still incomplete, but…
And so, the emergency meeting in his mind, which was happening in accelerated time, ended,
And the situation started to unfold rapidly again.
______________
Boom!
The knight, who had drawn his sword and was about to open the door of the carriage where the servants were riding, suddenly stepped back.
The one who had suddenly kicked open the door and swung his sword at him.
But it wasn’t something that a high-ranking knight of the Empire couldn’t handle.
“Resistance? How annoying.”
“He’s Viscount Pristine’s disciple. Be careful, he’s a mage.”
“A mage? A mage with a sword…”
But before the other knight could even finish warning him,
Hesperon’s entire body flashed with blue magic power, his speed increasing several times over.
“Tricks! You think that’ll work on me?!”
But it was nothing to the knight.
A thick haze emanated from his body, and his sword, enveloped in brilliant aura, easily cut the mage’s sword in two.
And as he was about to strike down his defenseless opponent,
Boom—!
Hesperon’s fist, amplified several times over, embedded itself in the knight’s chest, accompanied by a flash of black magic power.
“Gah?!”
Creak—
A metallic gauntlet, seemingly designed for close combat with reinforced knuckles, scraped against the knight’s armor, emitting an ominous sound.
“Wh-what is…!”
And the problem wasn’t just the impact.
A deadly curse, emanating from the fist, penetrated the aura surrounding his body and restricted his movements.
He would have been completely incapacitated just from the curse if it hadn’t been for his aura.
But that didn’t mean he had any hope of survival.
Whoosh—!
The knight’s headless corpse slowly fell backward, splattering blood.
“You bastard!”
And at the same time,
Clang!
Another knight, who had moved the moment his comrade was attacked, clashed swords with the ‘pitch-black sword’ that had appeared in Hesperon’s hand.
Naturally, an ominous dark magic power emanated from the sword, which was dripping with fresh blood.
Just like what was emanating from Hesperon’s body.
The knight pressed down on his sword and spoke through gritted teeth.
“A dark mage? Where did you get that cursed sword…!”
“Ugh, I borrowed it from a friend!”
He frowned in displeasure at his nonchalant answer, but… that was all.
Whether he strengthened his body with dark magic or tried to counter aura with the power of a cursed sword…
Clang—! Clang! Clang—!
…he was just a child playing with a dangerous toy in front of a high-ranking knight who had reached the highest level of mastery.
‘No, he’s not at the level of a child. I heard he was a mage, but his martial arts from earlier and this swordsmanship, what’s going on? He’s not just reacting with physical abilities.’
It was proof that he was extraordinary, being able to somehow react to his attacks and exchange blows, even though he was borrowing the power of unorthodox means.
It was commendable, even though he was barely holding on.
Crack—
‘But this is the end.’
The knight smiled ferociously, looking at the cursed sword, which was starting to crack under his powerful aura.
It was only natural, as even an object imbued with dark magic power couldn’t withstand repeated attacks from a master-level warrior.
‘He wouldn’t stand a chance if he could strengthen his weapon with aura, but that meager magic power is useless. A mage trying to imitate a knight, know your place!’
He swung his sword, aiming for the crack in the cursed sword, convinced of his victory.
And the moment their swords clashed again, his eyes widened as he felt the dark magic power expanding from the crack.
“Huh? …This is?!”
But it was too late for him to react.
Crack!
The cursed sword shattered into countless pieces from the tremendous pressure, and the fragments, guided by the spell cast on the sword, shot out in one direction with a specific purpose.
Boom—!
Countless fragments, like claymore mines, swept the area, carrying deadly dark magic power.
This ultimate cursed sword, designed to eliminate anyone within range, had an extremely limited effective range to maximize its lethality, but…
Thud!
…It was overwhelmingly effective against anyone within that range.
Even a knight who had reached the highest level of mastery.
“Haa, haa— Level isn’t everything. This is what item buffs are all about.”
Hesperon gasped for breath, looking at the knight’s corpse, which had barely retained its shape thanks to its powerful aura.
No matter how much he strengthened his body with support magic using “Introduction to Magic” and used skills like “Hand-to-Hand Combat” and “Super Strength”, it was impossible for him to defeat knights of this level with his abilities alone.
He needed external support to overcome this situation…
And that was the high-grade item support from “Avatar Cloud”.
‘And they’re dark magic-based magic tools, very effective.’
The quality was undeniable, as they were items personally selected and even enhanced by the Immortal King himself.
Of course, there were side effects to using such items.
Crackle—
“Hmm.”
The disposable cursed sword, which only had its hilt left, crumbled into dust, and a vicious curse started to seep into his right hand, which had been holding it.
And a steady stream of contamination was emanating from the ring, necklace, bracelet… and all the other accessories he was wearing to enhance his physical abilities and attack power, eating away at his lifespan.
‘Well, I don’t really care about my lifespan. …Anyway, they’re glaring at me intensely.’
But Hesperon kept his guard up, swallowing the blood that was rising in his throat.
It was only natural, considering the commotion he had caused, but the gazes of all the knights around him were now on him.
“…A cursed item. Was he really a dark mage?”
“No, it doesn’t seem like he learned it himself. Those magic tools are the cause. …Well, it doesn’t really matter now.”
“To think even Sir Wilhelm would be defeated…”
One knight died in an instant, and another one followed, hit by an unexpected attack.
They couldn’t recklessly attack him anymore, as two of their comrades had died while they were just watching.
‘This is electrifying.’
Of course, they weren’t just standing there. The sharp auras emanating from the knights were menacing, as if they could tear him apart at any moment.
-Heinrich: I’m a bit late. But this should be enough help. I’ll send more as soon as they’re ready.
As he was cautiously watching the knights surrounding him,
A holy symbol, filled with Heinrich’s holy power, appeared in his right hand and started to crush the curse that was seeping into him.
‘Ah, I can finally breathe.’
It was the Saint’s holy power, after all, even though it was an indirect manifestation of power through the holy symbol.
The knights, who had been preparing to attack, flinched and frowned again, sensing the energy.
“…Such immense holy power. A holy relic?”
“It’s fading quickly, so it seems temporary. But at that level, it’s like an Archbishop intervened.”
“He had a cursed item, and now this? Who the hell is he?”
‘He’s a sub-character supported by the main character. Item buffs are sweet.’
Hesperon responded playfully in his mind while maintaining a serious expression, but the situation wasn’t that relaxed.
Even though he was focusing on “Bond of Unity” while fighting, it was still a bit lacking.
‘Just a little more time…’
He subtly looked around.
Those who had been in the carriages were all massacred, except for a few who seemed to be accomplices.
But thanks to the distraction he had created, there were still quite a few survivors among the knights who hadn’t betrayed them.
As he was assessing the situation,
A chill—
He subtly turned his head, feeling a sudden coldness.
As expected, Staub, the leader of the traitors, was standing there, looking at him.
Right in front of the open carriage door.
______________
Staub, who had been staring at Hesperon, soon turned his gaze away.
This was more important than that guy.
He had been watching for a while, and the items he had were a bit unsettling, but his level itself wasn’t that high.
His subordinates wouldn’t be careless anymore, so they should be able to handle him.
“…Sir Staub. Why are you doing this?”
“I apologize, Your Highness. Isn’t this the nature of politics? Our goals are just different.”
“Do you think you can get away with this in Jeron? His Majesty will not tolerate this!”
“Don’t worry about that. We didn’t do this without thinking.”
Staub answered nonchalantly to Riley’s warning.
They had poured a considerable amount of resources into this, and he wasn’t the only one involved.
Unfortunately for Riley, who had barely escaped the Immortal King’s grasp, she would be dealt with as a fugitive who had been killed by the Immortal Army while they were pursuing her.
The terrorist attacks currently happening in the city were also part of that, and they had already prepared all the physical and magical evidence, as well as the witnesses.
‘Including everyone here.’
He smiled coldly and looked down at her.
“I apologize, but we don’t have much time. It’s time for you to go.”
He had been humoring her out of courtesy, but they didn’t have much time left.
There was a limit to how long they could buy time, even with all their efforts.
“Wait! Don’t tell me you’re…”
Riley tried to buy time by talking, but Staub ignored her and casually took out a short dagger from his subspace magic tool.
…It was called a dagger because it had a hilt, but it looked like a monster’s claw.
“Oh, there’s one more thing I need to apologize for. It won’t be a clean death. It’ll be quite painful and gruesome.”
The blood-red claw dagger emanated a sinister aura as if it would tear everything apart.
It was also a cursed sword, imbued with dark magic power.
“Come to think of it, that guy was using cursed items earlier. I was originally planning to frame him as the Immortal King’s pawn, but I think it would be better to make him the one who personally assassinated you.”
His gaze turned towards where the commotion was still coming from.
He had felt something strange about the aura he had been sensing, and it turned out that the bastard was still alive, supporting the few remaining knights and causing all sorts of trouble.
He was healing the knights with a holy item, buying time with a barrier magic tool, and even using a blood-red orb to create a blood storm that interfered with the mages’ intervention.
And his subordinates couldn’t easily attack him because of the cursed items and other ominous objects he was wielding.
“…Tsk, incompetent fools. I’ll have to take care of that myself. I’m busy, so let’s finish this.”
Staub clicked his tongue and frowned.
He swung the dagger at Riley, as if there was no need to wait any longer.
Or more precisely…
…at the spot where Riley ‘had been’.
“…Huh?”
After swinging at empty air, Staub slowly turned his head, following his senses.
Towards the center of the battlefield, where the chaos was still unfolding.
And there,
“Whew, that was close.”
Riley was nestled in Hesperon’s arms, her eyes wide open, while he chuckled, blood dripping from his nose and mouth.
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