episode_0008

The granddaughter of the old man, Asia, asked me this.

“Engaged… you say?”

Her eyes filled with disbelief.

I understand Asia’s feelings.

If even I suddenly appeared, a suspicious man who had committed a mass slaughter, and claimed to be engaged, I wouldn’t believe it either.

But…

“Master Geomseong told me to get engaged to you. He said that with this sword and ring, he can prove it!”

I had evidence to back up my words.

I quickly took out the ring of the Messiah Viscount from my pocket.

Asia’s pupils shook as if there was an earthquake.

“Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Asuras. In terms of lineage… well, I’m like a disciple or servant of Master Geomseong, something like that.”

“Grandfather’s disciple…? What is this…? And an engagement…?”

Asia was visibly confused.

The man standing next to her shouted on her behalf.

“What nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden!!!”

I don’t even know.

Honestly, I was a bit flustered myself, so I just blurted out whatever came to mind.

I never thought I would meet my fiancée in a situation like this.

“Such lies won’t work…”

The man who was pressuring me stopped speaking for a moment and fell into thought.

“No. It might not be a lie.”

The man’s gaze fell on the ring in my hand.

Fortunately, he believed that I wasn’t lying.

Maybe it was natural.

After all, it was the sword of Geomseong and the ring of the Messiah Viscount.

Of course, he had to believe.

“But if you claim to be Asia’s fiancé, do you think she will forgive you for what you’ve done!!!”

Ah… right.

I realized that now was not the time to talk about being engaged.

“I will explain everything.”

***

“…That’s what happened.”

“It’s hard to believe.”

“But it’s the truth.”

I said honestly.

I’m a good guy, those corpses are the bad guys.

They were trying to kill me, so I had no choice but to kill them.

Investigate them.

They have a lot of bad deeds.

“Until the investigation is complete, you will have to be arrested.”

“Yes.”

Well, I didn’t think they would do anything bad to me, so I complied with the arrest.

Anyway, it will soon be revealed that Bedi is a bad guy.

Honestly, what’s more important is…

The Messiah Asia, who had been glancing at me from time to time.

“Um… Fiancé? Do you have anything to say…?”

“I haven’t acknowledged you as my fiancé yet!!!”

“Yes.”

It seemed like she was very cautious of me, probably because it was the worst first impression.

‘Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve had a bad first impression with a woman.’

I naturally gained favor with women because I was born with a handsome face.

So this situation was just unfamiliar.

“By the way, if what you say is true, why didn’t Master come with you?”

“There are circumstances.”

“What circumstances…?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

“Because Master Geomseong ordered me not to.”

Saying that, I gave Asia a kind smile.

But…

“Hmph!”

It seemed that Asia was not pleased with my words.

***

After finishing the interrogation, the leader spoke to Asia.

“We have completed the interrogation. But how will you proceed with the request?”

The request Asia received was to clear out the monsters in the mine.

Although unexpected events had occurred, the request had to be fulfilled.

Asia glanced at Asuras out of the corner of her eye.

“Um…”

“I understand. It must be difficult to proceed with the request with a suspicious and unidentified person.”

“It’s okay. Let’s just do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s harder to stay another night with Viscount Waltz.”

With those words, Asia left the captain behind and approached Arthas.

“First, your sword…”

“My sword?”

“The Ashbringer.”

“Ah, that name?”

“You didn’t even know that?”

“I had no way of knowing. Honestly, I didn’t have much personal conversation with Lord Uther.”

Asia found it difficult to dispel her suspicions about the man in front of her.

A man who suddenly appeared claiming to be her fiancé.

It was the height of suspicion.

Moreover, he hadn’t even had a personal conversation with her grandfather.

‘His attitude seems like he’s deliberately avoiding questions… It’s clearly an excuse.’

She considered it a device to hide his identity.

But on the other hand, if he was her grandfather, it could make sense.

“Hmm! Anyway, I will have the Ashbringer with me.”

“Yes? Yes. It doesn’t matter. You gave it to me as proof anyway.”

Arthas readily agreed.

“Is that so? And for now, you’ll have to accompany us on our mission.”

“Accompany us… in this state?”

Arthas pointed to his arms tied behind his back.

Asia nodded.

“Since you haven’t explained your actions yet. You can’t avoid being detained.”

“Um… Well, it doesn’t matter. What about the mission?”

“Well.”

Asia pointed to the abandoned mine.

“Monsters are said to come out there.”

After scanning Arthas’s arms once, Asia showed a confident attitude.

“But don’t worry. We’ll protect you.”

“Just release the restraints, and I can take care of myself…”

“Absolutely not! You are currently a suspect.”

“Yes….”

Although Asia said so, she honestly thought that the restraints had no meaning to the man in front of her.

The man in front of her was strong.

So he could easily break free from this level of restraint.

The only reason Arthas wasn’t releasing the restraints right now was one.

‘He’s probably just trying to play along.’

Asia understood Arthas’s intentions.

***

I wanted to wash my bloodied face.

It felt so uncomfortable.

But I couldn’t wash it.

Because my arms were tied.

“Ha… And inside an abandoned mine, it’s just uncomfortable for no reason.”

Honestly, it was a bit scary.

It wasn’t like a ghostly or spiritual thing.

It was because of the cause of my death in my past life.

“The stairs leading underground, the lights that day were either broken or turned off….”

It was dark.

Just like the abandoned mine now.

The only difference from back then was that the members of the Order were carrying torches, making it a little brighter.

But it was still difficult to illuminate the abandoned mine with the light from the torches.

Feeling a slight aversion, I walked for a while.

“How much longer do we have to walk?”

It was a question to Asia, who was watching me by my side.

Asia still stared at me and replied.

“I plan to go until there’s a path.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Honestly, I wanted to go outside right now.

I’d rather wait outside.

I felt a sense of aversion to the dark, narrow space.

But Asia was determined to keep me by her side.

She had already told me the reason.

“I already know your skills. Perhaps… the entire Order will have to face you. Of course, to capture you alive. I didn’t overestimate you that much!”

She stated the justification for taking me with her while keeping me restrained.

Having heard such words, I had no choice but to go with her, but honestly, I regretted it.

This space was suffocating.

And it was uncomfortable to walk with my hands tied behind my back.

“Oh? I sense something!”

The shout came from Retired Captain Letrid, who had been at the forefront, pointing a sword at me.

Asia was the first to react to his shout.

“Yes? Something?”

“Yes. Come forward quickly.”

Looking at me, Asia hesitated for a moment before pushing me aside and heading to the front.

“Really….”

Asia’s voice, who went to the front.

It seems like there are monsters ahead.

I also widened my senses and checked.

Three of them.

I couldn’t tell what kind they were, but they were quite large.

“Judging by their size and shape, are they orcs?”

As I speculated about their identity, the repeated shout of the leader Letid rang out again.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

A well-trained knight order, it seems.

At Letid’s command, all the knights immediately drew their swords and prepared their shields.

“Although their individual skills aren’t outstanding, they seem to be well-trained judging by their formation.”

I should say, it’s the old man’s family.

It seemed like a family with a strong martial spirit.

Looking at the knight order.

“Wait! Stop everyone! They’re humans!”

“Human?”

It was strange.

The presence I felt definitely wasn’t human.

“Their size is too big to be human. If they were really human, they would be savages.”

The presence I felt surpassed that of an average adult male.

Feeling strange, I moved forward to the front.

And…

“What the hell, are they crazy?”

I witnessed the leader and Asia approaching the orcs, who held their weapons with exposed vulnerabilities.

***

“Why are there injured people here?”

Asia was confused.

The three people in front of her were lying down with injured bodies.

Driven by concern, Asia, as if possessed, approached them with Letid.

“Stop!!!”

At the sound coming from behind, Asia and Letid turned their heads in surprise.

“Why is that man…?”

A desperate expression.

Asia raised an eyebrow.

She couldn’t understand why he was acting like that all of a sudden.

But….

“Life!”

Feeling a presence behind her, Asia quickly turned around.

At the same time, she witnessed an astonishing sight.

The three people who were injured just moments ago had suddenly transformed into green-skinned orcs.

“Why are there suddenly orcs in front of me?”

In a state of confusion, Asia swung her white sword at the orc rushing towards her.