Ch.181Knight Demon (2)

The knight’s corpse-made demon.

Knight Demon Orgis.

As Najin listened to the story about this demon, he thought that no matter how he looked at it, this didn’t seem like a request that could be handled by “ordinary” Sword Seekers.

Demon, masterpiece, black mage, a monster that had grown by devouring dozens of knights. Just listing the key words made it sound ominous. Was the personnel assigned to this subjugation sufficient? Najin gave Argo a dubious look.

-I don’t think you’re in any position to talk, considering you charge at Transcendents with just a sword in hand…

Merlin also gave Najin a skeptical look, but he ignored it.

“Just my personal opinion.”

“Hmm? What is it? Speak up.”

“That demon called Orgis doesn’t seem like something one or two Sword Seekers can handle… Are we the only ones participating in this subjugation?”

“Ah, that’s what you’re asking about.”

Argo scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“There are a few people at the site, but realistically, only you and I will be fighting. Are you worried?”

“I’m fine, but aren’t you a member of the Knights of Atanga? And quite high-ranking at that.”

“I see what you’re asking. Well, I could have requested support if I wanted to. I would have done so if you hadn’t accepted the offer.”

But, he said.

“That would be something worthy of criticism as someone belonging to a group, even before being a member of Atanga.”

“Pardon? Why is that?”

“Knight orders, mercenary groups, guilds—any organization of significant size has one unwritten rule: ‘It’s right to abandon pursuit of targets who flee to the Outer Continent.'”

It’s not for any complicated reason.

Saying this, Argo spread his arms wide.

“The Outer Continent is vast. Excessively vast. Moreover, the terrain is treacherous, and there are no proper maps. No bases either. It’s a hellish land crawling with the dead, mythical era monsters, Transcendents, and demons.”

Having experienced the Outer Continent, Najin nodded emphatically.

“To operate in such a place, you need at least a star or two, but how common is such talent? They’re the kind of people who would serve as executives in their organizations. What would happen if such talented individuals left for the Outer Continent just to catch and punish something?”

“The organization itself would be greatly destabilized.”

“Exactly. The burden is too great. So unless it’s truly critical, we don’t extend operations to the Outer Continent.”

Thinking about it, it made sense.

The Outer Continent is vast and treacherous. There are too many risks and variables to account for, and the success rate of operations is low. It was understandable that there would be skepticism about operations in the Outer Continent.

“So even if traces were found in the Outer Continent, launching an immediate subjugation operation… honestly, it’s not the right decision. It’s also a decision I shouldn’t make as an executive in the knight order.”

“I see.”

“That’s how it is. Well, if I raised my voice about avenging old comrades and giving them peace, many would follow… but it doesn’t feel right, you know?”

A judgment that wasn’t right as a knight belonging to an order.

But, Argo smiled bitterly.

“Still, how could I just let it be? A demon that devoured my seniors and peers so voraciously is wandering around freely—how could I endure that?”

“That’s true.”

“Ah, I almost forgot the most important thing.”

Argo snapped his fingers and said.

“As I said, it would be difficult alone, but with you here, the story changes. We have a chance.”

Saying this, Argo began explaining the operation. Listening to the explanation, Najin nodded deeply, thinking “indeed.”

“We certainly have a chance. How did you come up with this method?”

“I’d like to say I’m quite wise, but taking credit for others’ work isn’t befitting of a knight.”

Argo shrugged.

“It was a method my colleague thought of during a past pursuit. Neither of us had the skill to execute it then, but now things are different, aren’t they?”

2.

Various eras coexist in the Outer Continent.

This is because heroes from those eras have survived in “some way,” and the star domains of the Constellations are scattered throughout the Outer Continent.

-Star domains sound grand, but they’re just mental images transferred into reality. You know, like the sacred domains of the Order on the continent? It’s similar to that.

Merlin said that there wasn’t much difference between a Constellation’s star domain and the Order’s sacred domain. She explained that a domain was a kind of stage where one could affirm oneself, a manifestation of one’s mental image.

-If you created a domain, it would be the landscape of the underground city.

‘Do all Constellations have domains?’

-Some don’t create them. Usually, Constellations that settle somewhere create domains.

A domain is essentially a mental image transferred to reality.

And mental images are inevitably influenced by the era one lived in. Just as Najin’s mental image was the landscape of the underground city, many Constellations had specific landscapes like cities, towers, or palaces as their mental images.

And these domains, which transferred their mental images into reality, don’t disappear even if the Constellations die or fall. Though they lose their value as domains, the landscapes remain. Abandoned cities and structures were examples of this.

Star domains that had lost their masters.

The place Najin and Argo were heading to was such a place. The carriage stopped at the border of the Outer Continent, and from there, they proceeded on foot. Argo and Najin walked. During this journey, they encountered the dead and monsters of the Outer Continent, but…

“Oh, they’ve noticed us. You take that side. I’ll handle this…”

Before Argo could finish his sentence, Najin had already dealt with all of them. He rushed in quickly, pierced the hearts of the dead, and for those protecting their hearts, he cut off their legs, knocked them down, and then smashed their hearts like he was using a pickaxe.

CHAAAAAAAAAAAK!

The pattern repeated when monsters of the Outer Continent appeared. Najin’s extended sword energy grazed the monster’s legs, severing its tendons and causing it to collapse. Mounting its back, Najin swung his sword several times, causing blood to fountain upward.

“Well, well.”

At first, Argo was impressed, but as the scene repeated several times, he looked at Najin with disbelief.

“What exactly have you been doing for the past four months?”

“I told you in the carriage, didn’t I? I’ve been traveling around the Outer Continent quite diligently.”

A part omitted for brevity.

Witnessing Najin’s combat techniques and skills in the Outer Continent, Argo couldn’t help but laugh. His movements were extremely efficient and fast. It wasn’t just that his technique or power was exceptional; the process of recognizing situations and making decisions was incredibly quick.

Recognition, reaction, response.

These three processes occurred in less than a second. If he sensed something targeting them, he would rush in, sever its neck, and return before anyone knew it. Until they reached their destination, Argo didn’t even have a proper chance to swing his sword.

“Well, this is something. It feels like I’m the one being escorted.”

“I’ll ensure your safe passage to our destination.”

Argo burst into laughter at Najin’s joke. After walking for quite some time, they reached their destination. It was an abandoned domain, the star domain of a Constellation who had fallen about 300 years ago, resembling a city that had once actually existed.

The free city, Pavanne.

A free city that had been located near a port hundreds of years ago. Currently, it had been absorbed into the United Kingdom and no longer existed, but Pavanne existed here in the distant lands of the Outer Continent. Of course, there was no massive port or blue sea here, but the bell tower, which was the symbol of Pavanne, remained intact.

Dong, dong, doong…

As the bell sound echoed through the city, Najin and Argo set foot in it. At the entrance of the city, there were a few personnel waiting, as Argo had mentioned earlier.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Schmitz, who sent the letter.”

Schmitz was a priest of the Sacred Host and was known as a pilgrim. He was a guardian who led priests who followed him on pilgrimages through the Outer Continent and shared his starlight with his followers for protection.

Indeed, the believers gathered at the entrance of Pavanne were ordinary people who hadn’t even reached the level of Experts, let alone Sword Seekers, except for Schmitz. They were sitting together around Schmitz.

“Pleased to meet you, Priest Schmitz. I saw the message sent through the Sacred Host. Is the Knight Demon here?”

“Yes, it’s beyond the line drawn there.”

“Can you tell me the detailed circumstances?”

“Of course.”

Schmitz explained. The free city of Pavanne was a domain left by a Constellation who belonged to the Sacred Host, so it was considered a sacred site. Schmitz and his group had set foot in this city for a pilgrimage as usual, but what awaited them was a demon.

“That demon took the lives of two priests. It happened before I could do anything. Observing that demon from a distance, it seemed similar to the Knight Demon I had heard about in rumors.”

“I see. So it’s outside that line?”

Schmitz nodded.

His ability was focused on “protection” and “barriers.” The demon couldn’t cross the line he had drawn. Even so, he had only secured a very small area at the entrance of the city.

“May the blessing of the stars be with you.”

Schmitz made a light sign of the cross.

Argo tapped the translucent barrier and spoke. They couldn’t pass without the barrier being removed.

“Could you remove the barrier for a moment?”

“Of course. Step back, children.”

Schmitz removed the barrier. As the gathered believers stepped back, Najin and Argo drew their swords.

Flash.

The moment the barrier disappeared with a burst of light. Something flashed from deep within the city. It was a very small, momentary flash, but Najin didn’t miss it.

SWOOOOOSH!

A streak of an arrow. It was targeting not Najin but the believers and Schmitz behind him. Its speed was quite fast, but to Najin’s eyes, it appeared slow. There was no need to swing his sword.

Grab.

Najin reached out and caught the arrow. He broke the arrowhead with his thumb, threw it to the ground, and looked ahead. A rain of arrows was pouring down.

“Here it comes.”

While Schmitz was creating a new barrier, Argo and Najin took a step forward. As they were deflecting the pouring arrows, a change occurred in the city.

Dong, dong, doong…

The bell sound that had been ringing gently.

……

Suddenly subsided. A moment of silence. Then, the bell sound that had been ringing gently began to ring madly. SCREEEECH! A noise like metal being scratched echoed throughout the city, causing the entire city to stir.

And then, CRUNCH.

The city began to “fold.”

3.

Mystical weapons, masterpieces.

The blacksmith who created masterpieces named them, allowing one to vaguely infer their abilities through their names.

For instance, No.34 “Shadow of Fire” can have its ability inferred from the fact that the heat haze created by fire metaphorically represents the shadow of fire. Indeed, it was a masterpiece with the ability to use heat haze to disrupt vision.

No.21 “Echo” is similar.

Echo means sound bouncing off something and returning. Focusing on the characteristic of “re-sounding” or “sounding again,” one can understand Echo’s ability. It was the ability to make not just sound, but also impact and mana, echo.

Then, what about No.4 “Bookmark”?

What is this masterpiece’s ability?

A bookmark is originally used to mark where one has read up to by placing it between pages. So, to use a bookmark, one must insert it between something.

Masterpieces, mysteries, are extensions of concepts.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be placed between pages. If the user thinks of something as “pages,” it doesn’t matter what they cover with it.

“Anyway.”

Najin muttered as he looked at the scene before him.

“Demons think differently.”

Knight Demon Orgis.

Befitting a demon with a completely different way of thinking from humans, the demon seemed to regard the entire city as a book. Looking at the buildings and bricks crashing down like waves, Najin thought.

Considering the ability of that bookmark, the battle might become somewhat cumbersome the moment they’re “covered.”

First, he needed to open a path.

And Najin knew a technique perfect for opening paths. He threw the sword he was holding upward and simultaneously drew the cross-star spear from his back.

A technique to break through obstacles and open a path.

Penetration.

A storm raged.