Ch.2121. My Knight (3)

“Ray—”

Though Sione seemed about to say something with a serious expression, I couldn’t focus on her words. Behind her, five figures in deep black robes had appeared.

When five extremely suspicious individuals suddenly show up like this, I can only think that the situation I’d been worried about has finally come to pass.

I kept my eyes on them while drawing my sword without hesitation, putting myself on guard. Seeing me do this, Sione’s expression hardened.

“…Ray?”

Well, she was trying to tell me something important, even calling me by name. It must be quite startling when I suddenly draw my sword like this, but I have no choice. This could become a situation where her life might be in danger.

I immediately approached Sione and pulled her toward me. I could feel some resistance from her, probably because of the sword in my hand, but after reading the seriousness on my face, she followed my lead without protest.

“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

“Suspicious individuals have appeared.”

“Suspicious individuals?”

“Look over there.”

Sione turned her body toward the people I was guarding against. Her eyes met with the woman who was approaching us first.

Then the woman who had locked eyes with Sione spoke.

“From the Sianella family crest engraved on the carriage to that silver hair. Indeed, you are from the Sianella family.”

She quietly drew her sword. A cold, sharp energy emanated from the well-maintained blade.

“It’s a bit disappointing that you’re the incompetent second child rather than the talented and easier-to-capture third, but even so… I wonder what kind of demon we could summon using you, with the blood of Sianella, as a sacrifice.”

She pointed her sword toward Sione and me. Clear hostility poured out toward us.

“Aren’t you all curious too?”

She asked her companions.

“Let’s deliver her to the sorcerer quickly. Being of Sianella blood, we should receive quite a blessing.”

“I look forward to a blessing after so long, fellow believers.”

There was a reason they had given off an even gloomier atmosphere than Sione who had been cooped up in her room. Of course they’d be repulsive, spouting such nonsense and praising demons.

I ignored the fanatics who were babbling nonsense and looked at Sione.

She had a blank expression, as if she couldn’t easily comprehend these people treating her as a sacrifice. It wasn’t a good sign. In this state, she probably couldn’t even swing a sword properly. It would be better to have her step back and let me handle this somehow.

“Please step back. I’ll protect you.”

“Huh…?”

Seriously, I’m telling her to step back so she can escape if needed. Seeing her just standing there opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish was frustrating.

Thump.

I pushed her shoulder to move her back. Given the situation, she shouldn’t mind me pushing her shoulder a bit.

“Even for the notoriously incompetent second child, hiding behind a male servant is quite a sight.”

The demon worshipper who had been pointing her sword at us raised the corner of her mouth in a sneer.

At the same time, her form blurred.

Tap!

The speed at which she approached me after kicking off the ground was beyond imagination.

…It seems she has skills at the level of a Sword User. If I tried to dodge a Sword User’s attack with just my physical abilities, my stomach would be pierced by her blade. I began to utilize the tiny bit of mana stored in my heart.

Spirit magic, one of my other talents. Originally I could use three attributes, but now only wind remains. Still, that’s enough to deal with an amateur like her.

I applied spirit magic to my body. As I felt a gentle breeze brush against my cheek, my body became lighter than ever before.

“Since you also belonged to Sianella, don’t think you’ll die easily!”

Her sword thrust toward my heart. Such a straightforward attack. It’s characteristic of those who reached the level of Mana User through talent in mana alone. Poor swordsmanship that fails to utilize enhanced physical abilities. I easily avoided the attack by simply twisting my body.

“How can a man…?”

She seemed unable to believe that I had dodged a Sword User’s attack. She showed an opening for a moment.

I didn’t miss that opportunity and instantly utilized my mana. What I needed was momentary acceleration. As a whirlwind burst around me, I launched my body forward.

Thwack.

My sharp sword pierced the demon worshipper’s neck. She stared at me with disbelief until the end, but I’d seen such expressions many times before on those pierced by my arrows in dungeons. I ignored it as nothing special.

I retrieved my sword and pushed her limp body away. I didn’t want her collapsing in front of me and restricting my movement space.

When I dealt with the Sword User relatively easily, the remaining four finally drew their swords.

“…This has become troublesome.”

That single thrust had drained nearly half of my mana. If all four of them were skilled Sword Users, even I wouldn’t be able to handle them.

I looked back at Sione. I could see her hands trembling slightly. Seeing someone die before her eyes seemed to have completely terrified her.

I suppose such a scene would be quite shocking to Sione, who had spent years staring at the same ceiling in her room. Even though she was a knight with Sword User abilities, despite her long hiatus, I wanted her help, but in that state… She would only get in the way if she tried to intervene.

I swung my sword once to shake off the blood and took my stance.

“…A man who killed a Sword User. Let’s avoid being careless.”

Two women sprang forward first.

Judging by the speed at which they kicked off the ground, they both seemed to have reached the level of Sword User.

…I used half my mana to take down one careless Sword User. And now there are two such Sword Users. The stress of figuring out how to overcome this obstacle was already overwhelming.

Feeling my head throbbing with stress, I channeled my mana again. Once more, I applied spirit magic to my body. As half of my remaining mana drained away, my body became even faster.

“Hurry and secure the Sianella!”

A Sword User’s physical abilities surpass those of ordinary people. Even that reckless straight-line attack from the crazy fanatic woman was something I was reluctant to face due to its power and speed.

I deflected the attack that came flying in a straight line to split my head by turning my body sideways and using my sword.

Clang! Tssssss!

Our blades collided, and the thug’s sword slid down along the path created by my blade.

“…Shit.”

The impact of the clash nearly made me lose my grip on my sword. Even now, my hand was tingling and my wrist was screaming in pain. If I had been a moment late in twisting to deflect, I would have lost my weapon and had my heart pierced. I cursed my weakened body.

I immediately dove into the demon worshipper’s embrace.

Thud!!

As her fist buried into my stomach, I felt my insides churning and my mind going dizzy.

But even so, I managed to thrust my sword.

“Kuk…!”

With a death cry, her body went limp.

After quickly dealing with one woman and catching my breath, I looked around to see another Sword User bypassing me and heading toward Sione. Damn it, Sione had drawn her sword against the fanatic, but was facing off with an obviously awkward stance. With someone trying to kill her staring her down with fierce eyes, she was still hesitating to swing her sword. What an incredible person she is.

“…Damn it.”

I immediately gathered all the remaining mana I had. If she fought awkwardly like that, Sione would eventually lose. I needed to kill the enemy in one go. As my mana emptied completely, I threw my sword.

A fierce whirlwind erupted as my sword flew at a terrifying speed.

“Kuhek!”

The demon worshipper who had been threatening Sione died as the sword embedded in her defenseless back and pierced through her chest.

Feeling intense fatigue from mana exhaustion, I immediately approached Sione.

“Are you alright?”

“…I-I’m fine, but you—”

Her pupils were trembling madly after seeing someone die by sword right before her eyes. She wasn’t in a normal state herself, yet she was worried about me.

“Please endure a little longer. It will be over soon.”

I hurriedly retrieved my sword and prepared to face the remaining two. The two left appeared to be ordinary swordsmen, not Mana Users. Normally, I could handle them somehow, but my current state of mana exhaustion was problematic.

My legs were trembling slightly, and the feeling of powerlessness washing over me was quite dangerous.

“Damn Sianella!”

I approached her while deflecting the clean but unremarkable sword strike of the demon worshipper. My arms were trembling from the aftermath of the previous clash, but I had to push my body somehow.

I aimed for the neck.

After deflecting her attack, I immediately slashed her neck decisively and turned to face the last enemy.

A wave of intense fatigue washed over me.

Thud.

My legs, trembling from mana exhaustion, finally gave out. And at the most critical moment.

“Damn you… I’ll tear you apart and use you as a sacrifice.”

As the last remaining enemy approached to thrust her sword at me,

Thwack.

I heard the sound of something sharp cutting through fabric.

“…A Sianella spawn that deserves worse than being torn apart.”

She looked at Sione, who had pierced her heart, with intense killing intent.

“I’ll be waiting in hell.”

Finally, she breathed her last and collapsed, and Sione came to me, crouching down to check my condition.

“…Ray, how are you feeling?”

“…Just simple mana exhaustion.”

“You were facing Sword Users…! Is mana exhaustion really all it is…?”

Sione’s eyes were trembling madly. As I examined her, I noticed her sword-holding hand was shaking unnaturally. Only then did I see Sione’s huddled form, as if she had committed a mortal sin, not just worried about me.

For someone who had been confined to her room, it was too much hostility to bear. The act of killing someone must have shaken her moral foundation.

I quietly embraced her.

“You don’t need to feel such deep guilt over this incident.”

Sione flinched at my words.

“…I killed someone with my own hands.”

“They were demon worshippers, enemies of humanity.”

“The woman who proclaimed she wanted to become a proud knight of Sianella couldn’t even help a single servant who fought for her, covered in blood…”

“In the end, you saved me, didn’t you? If it weren’t for you, Lady Sione, I would be lying cold on the ground.”

I quietly patted her back.

“You said you wanted to become a proud knight of Sianella.”

“……”

“At least to me, Lady Sione who protected me appeared more proud than anyone else.”

Sione silently embraced me at those words, and I indulged her childlike need for comfort for a while.