Chapter 19: The Enemy’s Tail

“Now, Sir Gremon and Sir Karina. Let’s say that we subdued the magician who was here today.”

“Pardon?”

“What do you mean……?”

Gremon and Karina showed puzzled expressions at Ryan’s words.

It was difficult for them to accept the conclusion the father and son had reached after settling the incident with their own little arrangement.

“Ahem. Well, it’s because I want to keep the power of my son’s Artifact a secret.

You both know, don’t you?

Possessing a treasure is not a sin, but not having the power to protect it is.”

In short, he was worried that the still-weak(?) Muno would not be able to protect the Artifact on his own.

At that, Gremon asked back with an incredulous expression.

“Judging by the traces of the exploding flames and lightning, the opponent was at least a 2nd Circle magician.

Moreover, considering he unleashed them in succession without any preparation, that cane seems to be a magical tool.

Taking that into account, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was at the 3rd Circle level.”

Magical tool .

A concept opposite to an Artifact imbued with the power of spirits and nature, it referred to a Devil’s Artifact imbued with the power of a demon.

“So?”

“What do you mean, so?

Are you calling your son, who subdued a 2nd Circle magician using a magical tool, weak?

That’s overprotective, brother.”

It was the common perception that a 2nd Circle magician was considered a notch above a 2-Star knight of the same rank.

Karina also silently nodded her head as if in agreement.

Nevertheless, Ryan firmly shook his head.

“It’s partly thanks to my son’s talent, but it was more possible because the Artifact is for anti-magic use. So we must be even more careful.”

No, if you say that…….

Muno couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at those words, but fortunately, Gremon and Karina didn’t see it.

The two, on the contrary, hardened their expressions as if they were shocked by Ryan’s statement.

“An Artifact for fighting magicians, how did you, brother, come to possess such a precious item……”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you the detailed circumstances. Please understand.”

“No, well, if it’s an Artifact like that, I understand…… I must. Hah. You must be careful, Prince Muno.”

“It must not be known to the Empire. I, too, will keep the secret. Please rest assured, Baron.”

Ah…….

Only after Karina had said that did Muno understand his father’s intentions.

It was strange that he had lied about his son’s ability being an Artifact and yet had revealed some of the most important facts.

‘So there really are anti-magic Artifacts.’

And so, it was understood.

Soon, Ryan glanced around the messy guest room and opened his mouth again.

“Alright. Then we old folks who did nothing will clean this up, so Muno, you escort Sir Karina and go get some rest.”

“Pardon?”

I wondered if he was saying it because he was sulking.

“Didn’t you overdo it? It couldn't have been as easy a takedown as it looked.”

His father had accurately grasped his son’s condition.

And Gremon even chimed in with a strange smile.

“Of course, of course. The young folks who worked hard should rest. Leave the rest to the old folks who did nothing.”

“Don’t repeat what I said, Gremon. It really makes me feel like a useless old man.”

“Puhaha. You must have a guilty conscience, brother? I’m still full of…….”

Kwaduk.

Gremon, who was joking with a smile, trailed off abruptly as he saw the greatsword-‘that was’ being crumpled in Ryan’s hand.

“Vig…… your arms are vigorous. You too, brother. Ahem.”

Muno, who was watching the two middle-aged men’s banter, let out a slight sigh and nodded his head.

‘I’m certainly tired.’

He had tried to apply a bit of acceleration in the previous battle, and what he intended to use only to the extent that it wouldn't strain his body had ended up at a level that wrung out his demonic energy.

Of course, the demonic energy he had absorbed in the process of subduing Amos had refilled his body, but it was true that it had put a considerable strain on his body.

And a lot of mental fatigue had accumulated as well.

But still, there was one thing he had to make sure of.

“I’ll say it again, that man was there 10 years ago.

You know what that means, right?”

The meaning of the words Muno spat out with a chilling expression was clear.

‘They might not have been completely subjugated.’

The hatred for the ones who had planted the trauma of his childhood, and the expectation that he might be able to avenge his parents with his own hands.

Those complex emotions, mixed together, were clearly evident in Muno’s words.

The expressions of the two middle-aged men also hardened rapidly along with his.

“……First, we’ll have to wait for the results of the interrogation of the knights.”

“With Sir Gunter’s skills, well……”

“Ah. Sir Karina, where are those knights?”

“Ah. W, well……. I gathered them at the end of the corridor.”

“Gathered…… them?”

The moment Ryan’s expression turned grim at the strange choice of words.

“Yes. Yes! That’s right. Ha. Ha. Prince Muno! W, we should go back quickly.

I, I’m also tired……”

Karina, as if she had something to hide, suddenly started to rush Muno.

‘What on earth did you do……?’

Muno became curious about the state of those knights again, but because of Karina, who had stealthily linked arms with him, his face flushed and he couldn't say anything.

‘She certainly smells good, unlike other women……. Aaaah! What am I thinking!!’

He just found himself nodding his head frantically without realizing it.

Then, his father, whose expression had been hardened, was now smiling with a pleased expression, looking at him.

The moment the two left the room through the shattered door.

“Ack!?”

Karina looked back and forth between her arm linked with Muno’s and Muno’s face, then suddenly screamed and quickly moved away.

A slightly flushed face.

“……Why……?”

My reaction was a little late, as I was disappointed by the lost body heat and scent.

Fortunately, Karina didn’t seem to notice and started to apologize strangely, bowing her head repeatedly.

“S, sorry.

I was in a hurry without realizing it and rudely linked arms……”

……If I say I rather liked it, will she treat me like a pervert?

The instincts of a virgin who had been single for nearly 40 years, including his past life, momentarily had a serious conflict with his reason.

And reason barely won.

“Ah, no. It’s not a breach of etiquette or anything……”

“Thank you for your understanding. Hah, I keep feeling like I’ve done something terrible.”

“Something terrible?”

“W, well, those knights kept saying insulting things……. My hand went a little too far.”

“What’s the big deal about that. You said you didn’t kill them.”

“……That’s true, but.”

The sight of Karina fidgeting was so particularly cute that a smile came out for no reason.

After all, he had decided to leave the rest to his father and Sir Gremon.

- There! The guest quarters!

Muno, hearing the voices of the soldiers who had begun to approach from a distance, carefully extended his hand to Karina.

“For now, as the two of them said, let’s get some rest. This way……”

The moment the fidgeting woman took his hand.

Muno’s heart began to beat faster and faster as he looked at her flushed face.

‘Let’s have just two kids at first…….’

The virgin’s delusions began to run wild.

But even that didn’t last long.

Because at the end of that corridor, he could see the arms and legs of someone in armor scattered ‘separately’.

Cough.

And even.

‘One, two, three……. Eight?!’

Heoh…….

“……A, ahem. Are ‘those’ the knights from before……?”

Hoping they weren't, he trailed off.

But cruelly, the lady……. no, the demon holding his hand slowly nodded her head with a flushed face.

“W, well, they’re knights, so they probably won’t die.

I, I even stopped the bleeding well……”

Oh my…….

‘Wouldn’t it be better to die than to have all your limbs cut off?’

No matter how much of a torture master Sir Gunter was, what kind of testimony could he get from a knight who had ended up in such a state in an instant.

As Muno was thinking about the practical problems, delusions began to rise in his head again.

Just moments ago, he had been imagining raising his children well and even seeing his grandchildren.

But the beautiful wife in that delusion was now smiling chillingly with daggers in her eyes.

- Honey, you were just looking at another woman, weren’t you!? Should I gouge your eyes out for you?

Gulp.

Suddenly, a cold sweat began to trickle down his back.

And her hand, which was holding his slightly, felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

“……Ahem. Let’s, let’s go back. It’s better for a lady’s eyes not to see such a harsh sight.”

He had forgotten that the person next to him was the one who had created that harsh sight, and had blurted out nonsense.

Fortunately.

“A lady……”

The demon, no, Karina, seemed to have taken his words in a good way.

His heart throbbed foolishly again at the sight of the beauty, to whom the bright dress suited perfectly, blushing slightly as she bowed her head.

‘Get a grip. Your life can be ruined in an instant.’

Muno grit his teeth and slapped his own cheek.

Thanks to that, he came to his senses, but he could feel Karina next to him looking at him as if he were a madman.

“Why……?”

“Ah. No, there was a mosquito……. ”

A mosquito in this cold northern autumn.

Even though it was my own mouth, I felt like I was just spouting nonsense.

At that moment, Karina let out a laugh.

……What’s so funny? Let’s laugh together, please.

As Muno was bewildered, she smiled and continued.

“Young Master, there’s something I want to ask……”

Her expression, with a gentle eye smile.

‘She’s really, insanely pretty.’

His heart began to pound again.

But now, he couldn’t tell if it was pounding from excitement or from fear.

‘What if she asks if I really like her?

What should I answer?’

All sorts of virgin-like delusions began to swirl again.

Fortunately, those delusions remained just delusions.

“Ah, I saw earlier, that chain, even though it’s for anti-magician combat, it seems to have a lot of different applications…… you know.

W, why didn’t you use it in the spar with me?”

The question, which she asked with a slightly flushed face as if she was still embarrassed, was clearly one she was asking as a knight, not as a woman.

Thanks to that, his heated head cooled down a little.

“……It’s the same reason you didn’t use that Artifact sword, Sir. It was just a spar, after all.”

“S, still, I’m very disappointed. If I get the chance…

I, I want to fight you again with all our might.”

Is this woman trying to kill someone…….

A chilling thought crossed his mind, but he also thought that perhaps this was Karina’s way of expressing her favor.

Her gaze, which still couldn’t meet his directly, and her flushed face and stuttering speech made him feel certain of that thought.

And again, this dangerous woman started to look cute.

‘No!’

He had to draw the line firmly at times like this.

“……As long as we don’t overdo it, that would be fine.”

But his foolish mouth blurted out words he hadn’t even thought of.

“Really!?”

“Of course. A spar with you, Sir Karina, is always welcome.”

“Then I……!”

“If one refuses a spar with a strong opponent, one is not a knight.”

“……Ah, a strong opponent…… you say?”

……Why? What?

His heart became complicated again as he saw Karina’s expression quickly cool down.

Was it a feeling of relief, yet also a strange sense of disappointment?

At that moment, his tongue began to move on its own again.

“Of course, just being able to see you again, Sir Karina, is a great joy.”

……It was as if his consciousness separation ability had divided his tongue and his brain.

Words he would never have imagined saying normally came out on their own.

At that, Karina’s face flushed again.

“Th, then I’ll see you again soon!!”

She suddenly shouted out of the blue and started to run away.

Uh. uh. This…….

‘Is this a good thing……. No, am I fucked?’

Muno could only stare blankly at her back with a complicated heart.

“Ah, no. This is no time for this.”

Get a grip.

Slap.

He slapped his own cheek once more and looked at the soldiers who were gathering at the shattered guest quarters.

‘This is definitely going to be a problem.’

It was too simple to dismiss it as just a case of a magician suddenly appearing, as it seemed to be clearly related to that incident 10 years ago.

‘……It won’t just be easily hushed up and passed over.’

And perhaps.

That incident, which he thought was over, might not actually be over.

‘I might be able to avenge my biological parents with my own hands.’

Muno, with a smile filled with a killing intent completely different from before, slowly turned around, taking in the scene of the guest quarters, now bathed in moonlight.

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