Intermission (2)
Inside the dark cave.
Zeke set aside Sedan, who was staring at Selena with a shocked face, and started to exchange information with the Duke.
Actually, it was more like Zeke giving information than exchanging it, telling him everything he knew about those Lost Hope bastards.
"Hmm? So you're saying there's a way to break through their bizarre defense!?"
"Yes. You must have seen me cut them down with my sword earlier."
"Right. I thought you just had a good sword."
"That's not it."
The knight commander, who had asserted that the reason Zeke had bothered to swing his broken sword was because it was a shard of a sharp, famous sword that could cut them down, lowered his head in shame.
"Knight Commander, please raise your head. There's a reason why the sword was special. You weren't wrong."
At Zeke's words, the knight commander raised his head again and coughed awkwardly.
He, too, was beginning to like Zeke.
"So, what is this method?"
"Magic stones."
"Magic stones!"
"Yes, if you grind the magic stones into powder, mix them with oil, and apply it to your sword, you'll be able to cut them."
"Ah, that's why…! Instructor, you were looking for magic stones before!!!"
'Nice one, Selena.'
Selena chimed in at the perfect time.
In reality, the sword he used was a cheap one from a bandit, with no magic stone oil whatsoever, but Zeke spoke smoothly with a straight face.
Actually, a sword coated with magic stones wasn't any more effective against them.
The Lost Hope bastards used suspicious magic to change their constitution, allowing them to absorb mana and life force from their surroundings.
They used this mana for defense, so nothing, not even a sword, could penetrate it.
Of course, to someone like Zeke, they were nothing but lumps of fat that split apart with a single swipe.
However, coating a sword with magic stones was a revolutionary method even in this dark fantasy world, a method that had protected ordinary citizens.
The mana condensed within the monster's magic stone was almost identical to the mana used by those bastards.
Therefore, their defenses were useless against it, allowing the blade to pierce through.
After this method became widely known, the Lost Hope were reduced to nothing more than annoying cockroaches.
'It's not like they're a group of strong individuals who are skilled with swords. Of course, it's a different story if they're at the archbishop level.'
"And one more thing. Never listen to their words. If you try to plant a spy to get information, that spy will end up leaking the Empire's information instead."
"......I wasn't listening to their crazy talk anyway. Surely, a well-trained spy wouldn't fall for their words."
"There's a guy with the power of brainwashing who sometimes hides among them."
"Oh my god, brainwashing…."
Hmm. The Duke groaned.
From the sound of it, weren't they the worst kind of beings?
If it weren't for Zeke Clayman, the Empire might have fallen into their hands in an instant.
"Therefore, provoking them from the start like I did is also a method but…. I wouldn't recommend it. It's a method that only someone like me, who understands them well, can use. If you don't show them enough cruelty to overwhelm them, you'll only end up being devoured."
"Ri, right, that's definitely not for us."
The Duke pictured Zeke and hurriedly nodded.
After that, the information exchange continued.
Zeke gave a lengthy explanation about the habits of the Lost Hope.
And about the being they called the Demon King.
Whew―
"I, and the entire Empire, are indebted to you. I will definitely repay you for this later."
Duke Yohaiden let out a long sigh and said.
"Knight Commander. Let's go to the Imperial Palace immediately."
"Please, tend to your wounds first. You've lost a lot of blood."
"No. It's not a life-threatening wound. Informing His Majesty about the Lost Hope is our top priority."
"Yes. These bastards are like cockroaches, so you must maintain strict secrecy."
"......I've heard it many times already. I'll keep it in mind even if you don't emphasize it."
Duke Yohaiden, supported by the knight commander, climbed with difficulty onto the horse Sedan had arrived on.
Hmm, the Duke frowned as he looked at the bloodbath.
"Won't you come with us?"
It was a big decision to take Zeke with him to meet the Emperor alone.
However, Zeke shook his head with a determined expression.
"No. The capital will be safe from attack if I stay here."
"Even if you've told me everything, wouldn't it be better for you to tell His Majesty yourself?"
'No, this old man is trying to pass the buck to me? Ugh, who knows what kind of trouble awaits me there?'
Absolutely not. Zeke decided to use his trump card, the forbidden technique he had just used on Sedan: the Selena Shield.
It was a skill that worked particularly well on Yohaiden.
"I will stay here and protect Selena."
"......"
As expected, it worked like a charm.
The moment Selena's name was mentioned, Duke Yohaiden became speechless, smacking his lips.
'Choosing Selena over power… Hmm, it's a minus that he lacks ambition, but on the other hand… Hmm.'
As Zeke watched the Duke's conflicted expression, he immediately grabbed the back of a cultist's neck from among the corpses and lifted him up.
"Take this one instead."
It was the guy who had been most actively cursing the Demon King in front of Zeke earlier.
His limbs were severed, and his entire body was covered in blood, making him look like a corpse already, but his brows twitched in pain.
"Oh, there's one still alive. That's fortunate."
"Yes. I'll take some measures to ensure he doesn't bleed out on the way."
Zeke took a torch hanging from the cave wall and cauterized the severed limbs.
Chiiiik!
The smell of burning flesh filled the air as the severed ends burned black.
The cultist, awakened from his daze, screamed.
"Aaaargh!!"
Duke Yohaiden, witnessing this, spoke.
"......You. What do you think of Selena?"
"F-Father!"
Selena was startled by the sudden mention of her name.
But the words had already been spoken, and her gaze cautiously turned to Zeke.
"She is my student."
"Student? Is that all?"
"That's not all."
Zeke stroked his chin and fell into thought for a moment.
"She is a precious person to me. The most precious in 'this world'."
"......Hmm. Then what would you do for Selena?"
"Well, all I have is my insignificant swordsmanship… But if Selena wishes, I'll even kill the Demon King for her."
At those words, Sedan's breathing behind them grew heavy and ragged, but Duke Yohaiden burst into laughter.
"Kkuk, kuhahahahahaha!!!"
'So what if he's dangerous and possesses extraordinary power? In a time when dark mages roam freely, there's no better candidate to protect Sere. And….'
Glance.
He glanced back and saw his daughter, her face flushed red, fidgeting nervously.
Seeing her completely smitten, a wave of melancholy washed over him, but he quickly composed himself.
'Right, whoever I bring home, they'll always fall short in Selena's eyes.'
He was Yohaiden, a man of high standing, a Duke.
The only ones above him were the Imperial Family.
However, he knew all too well how arduous the life of an Empress could be.
None of the Empresses throughout history had ever worn a relaxed expression, and their average lifespan didn't exceed fifty years.
The central palace was the easiest place for vermin to infiltrate, and they had to constantly be wary of the Emperor's moods.
In many ways, the position of Empress was one of constant pressure from all sides.
Moreover, if the prince they supported didn't become Emperor, they could even become targets of purging.
'Indeed, the Imperial Family isn't a particularly attractive option.'
If he were a cold-hearted man who only cared about his family's name, he would have chosen the Imperial Family without hesitation.
However, he was known even among the high nobility for being a doting father.
No, he was a daughter fool who valued Selena's happiness above his family's name.
'This guy is a much better choice than those other good-for-nothing fools.'
Smirk.
Duke Yohaiden's lips curled into a smile.
"Alright. Then I'll leave Selena in your care."
"Yes, I understand."
Zeke bowed his head.
Clack-
Clack-
The sound of hooves faded into the distance.
'Are, are they gone?'
He cautiously opened his eyes and saw the Yohaiden family disappearing into the distance.
'They're gone!'
Brrr. His clenched fists trembled.
Despite his crazy act, it seemed he had managed to leave a good impression on Selena's father, who had somehow formed a convenient misunderstanding.
Even he thought his last answer was brilliant.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment at the sight of the Duke laughing heartily.
'Of course, I cherish our Selena! Hmm! Since you're willing to even kill the Demon King for her, I'm grateful. Loyal, loyal!'
The thought of not having to part with Duke Yohaiden's beloved luxurious bed made him feel like he could fly.
He raised his head and turned around.
Selena was breathing heavily, her face crimson.
"Hmm? Selena. Are you alright?"
"......Instructor… Th-that just now…"
"Hmm, it seems the Duke took a liking to me."
"......Th-That…"
She struggled to speak, her lips parting and closing. It was clear that Selena was not in good shape.
It dawned on him then that what Selena had done was no easy feat.
'Damn, how much did she push herself today?'
She had drawn on his mana, imbued it with her intent, and even established a connection with another person.
Of course, it was a connection with an ordinary person whose mana road hadn't been opened, but there was no way it hadn't put a strain on her body.
It wouldn't be strange if she fainted right here and now.
Zeke walked towards Selena.
She panicked, her eyes darting around, before closing them tightly with a determined expression.
She must have pushed herself so hard that she was going to faint standing up.
As he had done before, Zeke wrapped his arms around Selena's legs and lifted her up like a child.
"Eek! I-Instructor!?"
Selena's eyes flew open, wide with surprise.
"You seem to have overexerted yourself today, so I'll carry you back."
"T-That's not it!"
"There's no need to be embarrassed. There's no one else around."
"That's not…"
Selena bit her lip and glared at him with reproachful eyes.
'What? I couldn't help it either. If you hadn't done that, I would have lost it, and who knows what would have happened?'
Squeeze.
Selena wrapped her arms around Zeke's neck and squeezed with all her might.
"Hmm. You've gotten stronger. That actually hurts."
But Selena didn't loosen her grip.
'I said it hurts.'
"Put me down, right now."
"No."
"Why not?"
"You'll collapse if I do."
Selena fell silent at his words.
It seemed she also realized that she had overdone it.
"......Just for a bit."
"Okay."
Zeke smiled and started walking towards the carriage.
The weight on his arms was comfortable.
'Well, at least I got a cute student out of this whole ordeal.'
The corners of his lips curled up slightly.
Access 5 advance chapters with the 'Pebble' Tier ($8) or 10 chapters with 'Baguette' tier ($15).
For every $10 collected on Ko-fi, I will release a bonus chapter. Choose your tier by clicking the 'Support me' button!
Rate and review this novel on NU to help people find this novel.
Join our discord server for the latest release updates and novel discussions.
He doesn't Know what he has done ! ha ha ha !
ReplyDelete