Ch.23979. Grind Your Teeth.

Feisran, once ruled by a great Mage King, was known as the central point dividing the east and north.

But what is the reality now?

It’s a reality that isn’t quite reality—positioned as a practical eastern stronghold and province (Provincia) of the Western ruler, the Berk Empire and the Irenis Order.

Had it been during the Vera Empire era, a governor would have been dispatched, but things are different now.

Nominally, they are allies, friendly nations, and brother countries.

The notion that the elder brother looks after the younger might seem beautiful.

But what’s the actual situation?

If Feisran could still maintain some semblance of exchange with the Empire, it was likely thanks to their unique magical techniques.

“You filthy one-armed cripple. In this Feisran, there are two types of people. Do you know what they are?”

A young man in neat attire who appeared to be a nobleman, accompanied by a nimble youth who seemed to be his attendant.

And then two unkempt, burly men.

Cornered in an alley by these four was a dirty, filthy young man whose appearance alone could turn one’s stomach.

His clothes, which made one wonder when they were last washed, were stained and crusted with salt, with dust and sweat sticking to them, making them look in poor condition.

That’s about as good as it gets without being stained with filth.

The first project the Empire undertook when expanding into Feisran was poverty relief.

While the ruling class, including nobles and the privileged, naturally bowed their heads under the Empire’s feet, what did that matter to the common people?

However, the relief efforts of the Empire and the Irenis Church definitely took root in Feisran.

…Of course, there were some drawbacks as well.

Also, no matter where in the world, shadowy corners tend to emerge.

And pests and mold tend to flourish everywhere.

“One is a magician, and the other is incompetent. But you, a former noble who can use magic, what’s with that pathetic appearance? Huh? Answer me, Lord Raymon.”

The nobleman who was cornering him wasn’t in such a domineering position just a few years ago.

He was wealthy, but they were incompetent.

However, much has changed since the Empire’s intervention.

Largely in the right direction.

“Besides, do you even need that one remaining arm? It’s not like your life has any meaning anyway.”

“……”

The shabby young man, Raymon, gritted his teeth and glanced sideways, aware of the wall behind him.

He was unlucky.

Bad luck is a common occurrence, but this time was particularly awful.

During a power shift, Raymon, who belonged to a major family, hastily inherited the family fortune after the death of his elder brother, who was the head of the family.

But within a few months, he lost everything.

…Truly, everything collapsed overnight.

“Why are you looking at us like that? Afraid we might kill you?”

With sadistic smiles, the burly men pounced on Raymon, who was watching cautiously like a cornered rat.

“Let go!”

“It’s your thieving hands that are the problem. You shouldn’t have coveted what belongs to others in the first place.”

Even if I did covet it, what business is it of yours?

He wanted to shout that defiantly.

But his pinned body was so powerless that even breathing was a struggle.

“Ugh!”

“Hold his arm straight. Are you that weak?”

As the young man reached out with both hands to break Raymon’s arm, he instinctively pulled back and started dry heaving repeatedly.

“Take a bath, you cripple! What’s with this smell?! To think a noble lord would fall this low—the world is truly unpredictable.”

“Young master, please understand our hardship too. We feel like throwing up as well.”

“Ah, maybe I was being too petty.”

For them, tormenting and breaking someone might be as simple as tearing off a fly’s wings or legs.

Though he had endured and overcome all sorts of humiliation and crises, this time seemed truly hopeless.

‘How did it come to this?’

As he struggled to breathe and fought with all his might, Raymon kept asking himself amidst his despair.

All sorts of scenes flashed through his mind like hammers pounding his skull.

But what surfaced was just a sense of injustice.

‘Ever since then…’

“Hey! Break it quickly! How long are you going to hold it? You’re not perverts, are you? No! Just kick him because he’s dirty….”

Would it be appropriate to say the air froze?

Rather, it felt as if space itself had congealed more viscously.

Despite being in an alley, it was too dark, and once noticed, it was unbearably cold.

Though it was the season when chills would gradually creep in, and the location made the cold particularly biting, as he knew from experience…

…this was different.

A sense of alienation, as if the world had been cut off.

Clank!

A metallic sound broke the silence, drawing everyone’s gaze.

Except for Raymon, whose face was pressed to the ground.

“Hmm.”

A deep breath.

Even the breathing was heavy.

“W-what? S-sir Knight, this… this doesn’t concern you… so…”

The noble youth tried to assert himself, but for some reason, his limbs were trembling.

Then the attendant, who was also the noble youth’s close friend, stepped forward.

“D-do you know who this person is?! If you don’t want to suffer humiliation, you’d better mind your own business and be on your way…”

Hmmmm.

A chilling cold emanated, layered over the heavy breathing.

“Silence.”

A decree that permitted no speech.

“……”

The burly men, seemingly sensing the threat instinctively, dropped Raymon and stood up.

Surprisingly, despite wearing full-body armor, the knight didn’t appear to be carrying a sword.

Did he leave it where he was staying, or abandon it in the stable?

Whatever the case, it wasn’t the right mindset for a proper knight.

Then what was that?

‘A youngster obsessed with chivalry?’

In the eastern continent, the Empire’s chivalry had penetrated in various ways.

Feisran, being a kingdom of magic, was less affected, but even within Feisran, as the Empire’s culture flowed in, people began to admire the culture of chivalry.

However, knighthood was originally a profession that the lowly couldn’t attain.

Even without issues of status, equipping oneself with weapons and gear was as costly as being a lord of a castle.

Moreover, that armor looked far from ordinary.

…Above all, its pitch-black appearance seemed ominous.

“Sir. This is our business, so please don’t interfere too much. This bastard is a corrupt noble, and we’re just teaching him a proper lesson.”

“That’s right! Yes!”

…

Regardless.

Clank! Clank!

The knight in pitch-black armor ignored them and walked past the young men and the burly ones.

Meanwhile, Raymon, having half-raised himself from the ground, was looking for an opportunity to escape.

“Going around in circles, you’ve finally reached the predicted state. How is it? Have you reflected a bit?”

“…?”

At first, Raymon didn’t understand what he meant.

Due to the overwhelmingly heavy and intimidating voice, he couldn’t discern what was what.

Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation in his left shoulder.

In the area of his left arm that no longer existed, that couldn’t exist.

“You… are?”

“Or is it still not enough?”

The voice was different.

The atmosphere and aura emanating from him were different too.

Instinct screamed at him.

It’s him! It’s that person!

Without evidence, from Raymon’s weary and despairing eyes, an inevitable conviction arose.

“What’s this? Sir, do you also have a grudge against him?”

“Ah, if that’s the case, you should have said so earlier!”

“We made a fuss for nothing!”

As they smiled—familiar to some, extremely cruel to others—the knight in pitch-black armor turned his head towards them.

“……”

For some reason, just that was enough to make the previously confident four freeze in place.

“Between them now and your past self. Don’t you think both are filthy and pitiful?”

“……”

Why was this person here?

“L-listen, why, why are you picking a fight…”

Like a frightened dog barking, one of the burly men tried to resist and refute.

Perhaps because he had that high-and-mighty young master behind him.

“The sad thing about all of you is that neither you nor they have learned or realized anything, and as a result, you repeat these futile actions day after day.”

It’s deplorable.

“Well, …what did you come here for?”

“……”

A gloomy sigh was heard through the pitch-black helmet.

“Beyrant.”

From him, the name of Raymon’s brother, who once reigned as one of the 13 mage nobles, was mentioned.

“It’s not his last words. It’s the regret he felt right after meeting his end at the hands of a demon, like many others. That’s what I want to tell you.”

“What does that…”

Demon? End?

“How long do you intend to stay?”

Thanks to the knight in pitch-black armor who glanced back, the four who had been dazed regained their senses with a start.

“Y-you bastard! Just because you’re wrapped in metal, you think you’re so great!”

“Hey! You’re crazy—!”

Finally, one of the burly men couldn’t hold back and charged.

Thud!

Before anyone realized, the large man had inexplicably fallen face-first onto the ground.

‘What?’

What just happened?

While everyone was bewildered, as if under a spell, the fallen man lost consciousness.

“……”

In the end, the noble youth clicked his tongue, pretending to maintain his dignity as he led his group away.

“This humiliation… we won’t let it slide.”

“Gladly.”

In fact, I eagerly await it.

“……”

Though he didn’t say it out loud, the noble youth clearly felt his intent.

Is he crazy?

Or is he someone who’s gone mad with self-confidence in chivalry?

Someone with powerful backing?

Or a high-ranking noble of the Empire?

Thinking about it made the noble youth anxious, feeling a pain in his lower abdomen.

As they hurriedly vacated the alley…

“What do you intend to do with me?”

The fact that the one who had cut off—or rather, removed—Raymon’s arm had somehow saved him was too hard for him to accept.

“I’ll give you a chance.”

A chance? What kind of chance?

As Raymon swallowed nervously while remaining cautious…

“Will you continue to be buried in the gutter and die miserably? Or will you try to escape from there?”

“……”

“Heaven hasn’t abandoned you yet. And your family’s purse isn’t empty. Be grateful for that.”

With those words, the knight in pitch-black armor turned his back.

Raymon, who had been dazedly following him, hastily got to his feet and, with pale eyes, followed behind him, finally taking a step forward.

====

“…So that’s why you came here.”

Delica, holding the reins of the warhorse.

She showed a devilish expression as she watched the young man following Kariel like a beggar.

“Why? Feeling guilty about cutting off his arm?”

“……”

Kariel said nothing.

“Let’s go.”

“…Where to?”

He simply stated their destination.

“The royal palace.”

“…Why there?”

Even Delica, who had been questioning him, fell silent at that, merely narrowing her eyes.

“Because I have business with the young king.”

====

As the door of a nearby tavern was flung open with a sound as if it might shatter, the owner, a man with a beard, bellowed out.

“You bastard! What kind of manners are those?!”

It was a shout so powerful it could silence even the commotion inside the tavern.

“Hey, you bastards! There’s a fight happening in front of the royal palace right now, and you’re just sitting here slurping soup?!”

What? Royal palace? What’s that place? Who’s fighting?

“…?”

A man who had his head buried on a foul-smelling table, half-dozing off from alcohol, groaned and lifted his eyelids at the commotion.

“A knight in pitch-black armor tried to enter the royal palace, got blocked, then smashed through everything and is entering now!”

What nonsense is this? Did that guy who just came in drink too much during the day? Boasting should have its limits. That doesn’t even make sense…

Amidst the clamor from all directions, some were interested in the topic and were getting up from their seats.

“Is that true?”

“Would I lie about it?”

“But when would we get to the royal palace? It would take forever even on horseback.”

“Well… that might be the case for you.”

“What’s this guy doing?”

“Forget it, just tell us the story. What exactly happened?”

In the end, this is what it comes down to.

The man who had brought the hot topic, trying hard to suppress his grin at the attention directed at him, proudly moved towards the center of the tavern.

“You fools! When you hear what I saw, you’ll be shocked! Your hearts will jump out!”

“Stop the dramatics! What is it?!”

Eventually, the story of the knight in pitch-black armor flowed from his lips.

He happened to be nearby when a knight with a mysterious aura passed by, and he wondered why he was heading towards the royal palace.

At first, it seemed he was being blocked, but then he tried to force his way through, got surrounded, and then…

“What? Is he trying to imitate Grandeus?”

“Does he think he’s some great hero?”

“You don’t know? I was once on the frontlines during the Demon King’s invasion…”

Others, seizing the opportunity and emboldened by alcohol, began to list their past achievements.

“The great hero is different! On another level! We can’t even properly cut a wooden chair with our swords! But when he swings his sword, the earth flips and the sky splits!”

“Are you lying, you madman? How is that possible?!”

“It’s true! Do you know anything about war?! Have you ever fought against demons?!”

“More importantly, what was that Gran? Grandesus? What’s that?”

As the commotion expanded, alcohol seemed to have the magical ability to unify everyone’s opinions, and they all had some common ground, knowingly or unknowingly.

However.

“Huh? Where did this friend go?”

The owner, who was bringing a wooden cup of alcohol, swept up the coins left on the empty seat while rubbing his bearded chin with his hairy hand.

“Hey, you! So what is Grandemus?!”

The tavern door opened slightly and closed, but at that point, no one had turned their gaze in that direction.