The Ruined Death Knight

"Like I said! You should just sit back and watch! Having you watching our back would just make me worried about receiving an arrow through my head."

"Hmpf! I bet you can't even cut a blade of grass with that big knife of yours! I would recommend changing your carreer to that of a cook!"

"What did you say!?"

"You got a problem with saying the truth!?"

'Obnoxious people' Cursing under his helmet, Danzel focused on the path upfront instead of those two.

Right after they introduced themselves to each other, they followed Serran who was guiding them with the map.

Danzel put him among the most  dangerous people around him.

Though he wasn't exactly sure, he was confident to say that he was the strongest among them, if he were to consider their melee compatibility alone.

But even then, he wasn't too sure about Serran.

Although he could somewhat grasp how strong they physically were, that didn't help him much with a magic caster who relied on their mind and spells.

Him knowing that he could also use light magic, one that went against dead mana made him obviously wary of him.

If it wasn't for the fact that Serran had already told him that he is a 2nd-tier magic caster by their travel some weeks ago, he might have reconsidered of joining them.

'As long I don't let my ground everything should be fine' Danzel thought as he turned his head slightly to the left.

'There is also this guy who gives those weird glances from time to time.

Compared to Hannes who was walking upfront like a free spirit, Serran who was guiding them by Hannes's side, and those two idiots who loved to talk no stop.

The guy named Merrick was the most suspicious of them all.

Usually, he would shrug it off as his charm being too good for his own good, but that guy definitely didn't give those looks!

'Crap!' Noticing my gaze, Merrick came closer to his side.

"Hey...you said that your name was Danzel, right?" Merrick whispers to him.

"Yes...that's my name. "

Nodding his head, he gazed in front in silence.

'That's it? Didn't you just come here to make things more awkward?' Complaining internally, he played along.

After several minutes later, Merrick spoke while still looking upfront.

"You know, I know what you did."

"I done many things till now, being so vague doesn't help much of understanding what you exactly mean." Danzel scoffed at him

"..." Merrick looked at him with a frown on his face.

"...What I meant is that I know that you killed the hammerheads not long ago."

'!!!'

His ethereal eyes darted in an instant towards Merrick's face. 

Looking at him intensely, many thoughts run through his mind.

'How does he know? Did those guys that I killed inform him before going to raid my place? Or is the guy who the kids of the church this one?'

As his mind into chaos, a sudden realization made him calm again.

Without halting the steps, Danzel replied.

"Hammer heads? Do you by any chance mean those guys who that everyone has been talking about recently?"

"...Do you think that you can play dumb with me?" Merrick said with his frown grown for the worst.

"I apologize if I am ruining you delusional's, but I haven't killed much of anyone in my time in Nercana." Danzel said with a confident tone as if he was simply stating facts.

But while he was lying through his teeth, his mind overworked in the meantime.

`Calm down Danzel, that guy shouldn:'t be able to know that. As long as I am aware I killed every one of the Hammerhead in my church and even those guys informed him, they are no longer evidence there.'

'And the chances of the person that the kids meant being him is close to zero. As is he knew that by the kids, he would never approach me as he should have a grasp of my abilities.

That, or he was just suicidal.

With all those facts, there were only two things.

'He either guessed or doesn't know for sure that I did it.' 

Merrick on the side who expected some kind of reaction from Danzel was surprised to see him continue walking calmly.

'Was I wrong?' Merrick thought as he started at Danzel.

"You know, I had some connection with the hammer heads. Or more specifically a group of three idiots."

"..."

"...You see, those three idiots owned me quite some gold. Although those idiots would always use that gold for either woman or alcohol, they always returned it with a bit of interest back."

"..."

"Hey, if I remember right you had a fight with those three idiots a day before the whole group of hammer heads disappeared."

"And I know, that though those guys were the lowest of the low, those guys would never forgive the one who messes with them."

Walking a bit ahead of Danzel, Merrick stopped right in front of him.

"Now let me ask you, if the vengeful hammer heads were to disappear after messing with someone and that someone standing in front of me. Who would you think that killed those guys?" Merrick said with a grin on his face.

Starting at him coldly, he pushed his shoulder and continued walking after Serran.

"You can find someone else to fool. Because the guy owning you gold died, doesn't mean that you can accused others as the killers just that they pay you the owned gold instead."

"Nonetheless, I heard that many people hated those guys. It isn't a surprise of them dying from an enemy or a hero of justices."

"You...!" With his face flashing up red, Merrick stared at Danzel with hate.

'I thought you already had fled Nercana after you killed those bastards, but knowing now that you stayed. Hehe, just you wait until we go back and report you to the association! I will enjoy your look being dragged into one of those academies.' Merrick thought as he continued walking behind Danzel.

'That guy knows too much...' Danzel thought while rubbing the handle of his sword.

As he was thinking of how to dispose of that guy without anyone noticing, he stopped in his tracks and looked at the ground confused.

"Hmm?" 

"Guys! Something from our right is coming directly at us! And it's pretty big" the girl with the bow yelled as she kneeled to the ground while pointing toward the right.

"Huh, what are you talking ab-"

*Booh Booh!

As Nolan got confused by her remark, a sudden vibration appeared on the ground.

"Huh, what's happening? Did an earthquake suddenly begin?" Hannes asked as he looked left and right.

Looking at the direction that the girls were pointing,  Serran browns frown.

"Everyone! Prepare for battle! Our target is coming!"

Hearing Serran's command, everyone stared in the direction with their weapons already in ready.

"Finally, and here I was getting bored of searching." Hannes said with a smirk, with an expression of wanting to just charge in.

"Everyone listen up! Sarah, you go to the left and I go to the right giving support from the back."

"Merrick and Hannes will flank the  [Earth Lizards] from the back while Nolan and Danzel stay in the front and his sides!"

Starting at everyone with a sole expression Serran asks.

"Is everyone fine with that?" 

Nodding their head, everyone went to their position without much complaint.

Even though my and Nolan's placement was the riskiest one.

As long as the beast is as Serran had described it, then it wouldn't be hard to deal with.

With Serah already drawn her bow and Serran preparing his spells.

Everyone waited for the beast to come.

*Boohm! Boohm!

With the vibration from the ground growing stronger, a sudden screeching voice echoed through the forest.

"Wgaaaaaaaah!"

Running towards their direction, a 6-meter tall lizard with rocks on his body, making it look like scales came running at them with bloodshot eyes while pushing the huge trees to the side.

As everyone saw this creature, they frown (except for Danzel).

"H-Hey! Isn't that thing way bigger than you described it to me!" Nolan's face paled.

"His speed also doesn't match that of a [Earth Lizard]!" Sarah yelled out loud.

"Is that really a [Earth Lizard]?]" Merrick said with a frown.

Observing the oncoming giant, Serrans eyes widen up.

"Oh no! This guy isn't just a [Earth Lizard]! It's a beast anomaly dammit!"

Hearing that cold sweat run through their backs.

Danzel in comparison stared at the giant lizard with a grin on his face.

"Perfect" Danzel whisper to himself.

'This guy should be of some help in cleaning things up.' Danzel thought as he started at Merrick's pale face.

'I bet none will question me if Merrick dies in the middle of the chaos.'

Arriving in front of them, the earth lizard jumped and let out a loud growl through the whole area.

"Groooowl!"

"Everyone! Concentrate on the fight ahead of us!"

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