Ch.27189. Inevitably, Winter Will Come (3)

Shortly after Tronel’s rendezvous with Patina.

As if anticipating this, the note that reached Patina contained the following message:

<Pursue the excommunicated one.>

Though uncertain who sent this message or their intentions, Tronel’s group remained vigilant and managed to track down a blood relative of the excommunicated Esdina family.

She entered the mansion where she once resided, only to leave shortly thereafter.

After a brief delay, they visited the place.

“Shall I guess why you’ve come to visit?”

The current head of the Esdina family, Seras Esdina, greeted the three of them.

“I trust it’s not because of my foolish sister.”

After saying this, she also handed them a note.

“I don’t know what it is, but perhaps you might understand.”

It contained a brief message stating that someone would be waiting in the forest near the institution that very night.

“About what’s written here. Could I also know who’s waiting for what?”

Medrin asked first.

“Where did you get this?”

“In my room.”

“…And how can you be certain that we are the intended recipients, not you, the head of the family?”

“When I first received it, it contained different content.”

Seras replied with a composed face.

“It said, ‘Tomorrow, there will be two uninvited guests. Give this to the second group.’ That’s exactly what was written, word for word.”

“……”

Upon Medrin’s examination, there appeared to be no traces of special magical treatment.

…Truly ordinary, poor-quality paper.

Even this would be difficult for commoners to obtain, but not impossible if one really wanted it.

“Does that answer your question?”

Having gained something of value, Tronel’s group had no choice but to follow the clue they’d been given.

“The sun will set soon… If you have no other plans, let’s head out.”

The two nodded at Patina’s suggestion.

However.

Due to a knight who suddenly approached, Patina had no choice but to part ways with the group, stating she would join them later.

Even worse.

“This is no coincidence.”

Even Medrin, because of a raven that suddenly arrived, couldn’t accompany Tronel.

Though she said she would follow soon… who knows what would happen.

And so Tronel set out alone from the institution toward the dense forest path.

This was once the forest Kariel used as cover when leaving the institution.

Even though logging and territorial expansion had somewhat diminished the dense and vast forest area, it remained thick nonetheless.

Upon entering the forest path, it quickly grew dark as if the sun had already set.

With the moon yet to rise, and no specific location designated, Tronel decided to exercise some patience. After venturing deep into the forest, she cleared a spot and settled down amidst the silence and darkness, calmly holding her rosary in prayer.

…

How much time had passed?

Clank!

The sound of metal scraping was so loud it seemed impossible that merely treading on soil could produce such a noise.

It was clearly approaching Tronel with a distinct presence.

“You’ve come.”

Tronel opened her eyes and calmly rose from her position with composure.

“……”

Whoosh!

A desolate breath echoed through the helmet.

With an eerily absent presence, a knight in pitch-black armor emerged from between the trees.

“May I ask why you called for me?”

“Let’s make a wager.”

A wager?

“The reason I called you is simple.”

The holy relic.

“Return it to its rightful owner. Not forever. Just until the jousting tournament ends.”

“…Why?”

“You don’t need to know.”

The black knight was resolute.

He allowed no satisfying answers to her questions.

“Why should I agree to this, Kariel?”

“Because I knew you wouldn’t comply willingly, I proposed a wager.”

“I have no reason to accept such a wager.”

“Even if I insult and blaspheme your Lord?”

“…Do you think such childish tactics would make me accept the wager? I could simply resort to force.”

“Then someone will suffer the misfortune of surrendering their soul to a demon god.”

“……”

Is this a threat since the proposal didn’t work?

“How far have you fallen, Kariel?”

“I’ve been in the abyss for a long time.”

…Is he saying there’s no lower depth to fall to?

“…Before any wager, why should I retreat from here or let you go?”

“……”

A long, cold breath echoed.

“Abandon your prejudice that you have the upper hand.”

Kariel coldly murmured.

“Unfortunately, it’s beyond your capabilities.”

“…Hearing you talk like that, I see you’ve grown a lot.”

Finally, Tronel drew out a straight sword, a cruciform sword from somewhere unknown.

“Care to prove those words?”

“…If you wish.”

…

Tronel waited.

For him to grasp or draw his sword.

But the black knight, presumed to be Kariel, didn’t reveal his weapon no matter how long she waited.

Not even the infamous black sword she’d only heard about in rumors.

“What are you doing?”

“Are you being kind enough to wait for me to arm myself for combat? You must have lived quite a soft life.”

“……”

Was it deception or provocation?

However, Tronel remained calm without getting excited or letting her guard down, carefully observing her opponent.

Though her vision was poor due to the darkness pervading the forest, her eyes, now adjusted to the dark, were capturing everything clearly through sight and sensation.

“Fine. Let’s see just how…”

Her form scattered like an illusion.

Clang!

“…impressive you really are.”

“……”

The moment he blocked Tronel’s sword with his forearm, she erased from her mind any notion that her opponent was defenseless.

Normally, the arm should have been cut or at least deeply gashed, or pushed back with difficulty.

…But it was like striking an iron pillar; it didn’t budge at all.

Even though she could easily cut through such iron with her sword strike.

“……”

Moreover, he didn’t seem to be using mana or magical power.

“My Lord.”

She whispered softly.

Holy power exploded through her entire body.

“……”

Similarly, he remained motionless.

‘Is it neither sorcery nor magical power?’

The fact that he showed no reaction, let alone pain, despite being directly exposed to holy power…

“Satisfied?”

“…Not yet.”

The sword and black armor collide. They clash without restraint.

Yet the black knight effortlessly repels her.

“Hah!”

After retreating a few steps, Tronel exhaled briefly and examined her sword.

…Though not a legendary blade, it was already in such a state.

Since it wasn’t a clash between sword and sword, the blade itself was bending or warping rather than just being damaged.

It was fortunate it hadn’t broken, but it wouldn’t last much longer at this rate.

“This has become unavoidable.”

Finally setting aside her sword, Tronel drew a new one.

It was a distinctly white blade, brighter than her previous metal sword.

A pure white sword from tip to pommel.

A cruciform sword reminiscent of a cross, similar in form to what’s called an imperial sword, but…

That pure whiteness was striking.

“When you returned to the Empire, shouldn’t you have visited somewhere first? Why are you wandering here?”

“……”

The black knight remained silent.

Perhaps words were unnecessary.

Or maybe he understood that any words would sound like excuses.

Or perhaps he considered even that pointless and worthless.

“…Very well. I can satisfy my curiosity after this is over!”

White steam erupted from her sword.

The holy power flowing like steam clearly marked it as a treasure comparable to a holy sword.

But curiously, it was originally a sword used by a demon realm commander.

It had been melted down, reforged, and reconstructed as a quasi-holy sword.

“…Hmm.”

However.

She wouldn’t get to swing that sword to its fullest extent just yet.

A blue-black flash, like a ghostly light, targeted her sword and body as if it were a manifestation created through magical power and mana.

“?!”

Tronel hastily blocked it.

Boom!

The intense impact seemed to target her sword specifically, striking it forcefully.

As a result, her sword was pushed back.

If she hadn’t maintained her center and responded properly, her wrist would have been broken or twisted, or she would have lost her grip on the sword, leading to some kind of disaster.

“?!”

But that wasn’t a single attack or a decisive strike.

It was followed by a series of consecutive attacks.

It was just the beginning.

And Tronel immediately recognized the momentum, pressure, and method… while also noting its similarity to a certain being.

‘The Demon King of Extermination?’

No.

It wasn’t exactly that, but it wasn’t completely different either.

It wasn’t just a superficial similarity because they both used their limbs.

…If anything, Kariel’s way of using his body was much more refined.

He exuded a barbaric and violent aura, like a wild bull charging with its head lowered, excited and frenzied.

And like a wolf excited by the smell of blood, instinctively pouncing on its prey or enemy with ferocity and urgency.

Yet within that, there was an uncanny degree of discipline and restraint.

If she hadn’t observed carefully, she would have been swept away by that momentum.

Whoosh!

The blue ghostly light flashed past her head.

Though it felt as hot as if it had burned her cheek, there was no time to dwell on that.

The black fists and kicks came like clubs, maces, whips, and arrows.

Each strike could lead to fatal damage if allowed to connect.

Yet how could such a heavy body move so flexibly, so fiercely, so continuously without pause?

Crack!

A tree that was hit split in half as if struck by a hammer.

What was surprising was that the tree, which should have shaken from the impact, didn’t move at all except for the part that was hit.

This confirmed to Tronel that the hardship she experienced wasn’t an illusion.

The transfer of force was firm, unwavering, and clear, so the power didn’t dissipate or its effect scatter.

Therefore, each strike didn’t just collide and spread out but penetrated and embedded itself like an arrowhead or spear tip.

A mace is effective because the force of impact isn’t dispersed but delivered directly.

He was using his entire body in that manner.

When he clenched his fist, it became a hammer or mace strike.

…No matter how close to superhuman Tronel was, or how quasi-holy her sword might be…

…The black knight before her clearly surpassed all that.

Boom! Crack!

And these weren’t just threatening swings or thrusts from a stationary position.

Each strike, delivered while moving nimbly in all directions, would be fatal to most.

This was proven as several trees instantly collapsed, tilted, and fell.

“My Lord! Your—!”

Bang!

Though she blocked with her sword, the force pushed the blade back, striking her shoulder.

In other words, the sword itself struck her body.

As a result, Tronel was sent flying like a pebble kicked away, crashing through several trees before tumbling to the ground.

“Huff!”

But it wasn’t over.

Before she could even touch the ground, the black knight had already arrived through the shadows.

As if about to crush her head, he raised his foot.

Tronel quickly evaded.

Crash!

The ground trembled from the powerful impact.

“Cough!”

Having narrowly escaped, Tronel coughed violently as if her lungs were uncomfortable.

Yet her eyes remained fixed on the black knight.

“…You must have only chosen battles where you had the luxury to run your mouth.”

Though not meant to be sarcastic, his tone suggested otherwise.

Despite his upper body heaving as if excited, his voice remained devoid of all emotion.

…A truly terrifying incongruity.

Even the glimpse of his eyes through the helmet was ferocious beyond measure.

“…The Demon King of Extermination. Even when I fought him, it wasn’t this… intense.”

“The power they were allowed at that time was barely equivalent to a single finger.”

If this were actually in the demon realm, not the middle realm or within an erosion zone…

…It might have been a match worth watching.

A saint wielding a sword comparable to a holy sword would certainly be their worst natural enemy.

“Will you continue?”

“…This is the first time I’ve had to consider such a thing.”

Having become the Second Saint early on, she had rarely been overwhelmed in terms of force.

Honestly, unless it was Rueld, she was confident she wouldn’t lose to anyone.

Because the world is vast, there might be several beings who could defeat her, but excluding those few, she could easily overcome everyone else.

She was the Church’s Sword of Execution.

The reason she was called the Sword of Execution rather than a Holy Sword was because when she had to cut, she had to cut beyond mere slicing, completely and thoroughly severing the entire existence.

Only by instilling fear, discipline, and law…

Could order be maintained.

“My Lord… Your lamb beseeches you.”

Holy power enveloped her entire body.

White steam now began to emanate not just from her sword but from her entire body.

A sight that might seem noble and sacred beyond measure.

“……”

The black knight showed no reaction.

Only…

This time, at last.

He formed a pitch-black sword.

Only then did a satisfied smile appear on Tronel’s face.

“Let’s test if the rumors are true!”

“Don’t be overconfident.”

The dark sword in his right hand.

It began to thrash violently in his heavy iron grip, as if about to swell and explode, like a living fish.

“From the beginning, that nature of yours that enjoys battle is base.”

As he gripped the sword with both hands,

The thrashing black sword swelled several times over.

“Whether you heed my initial request or not is your freedom.”

Having saved her life once.

“If you have a conscience, follow it.”

“Saved me? We haven’t even properly started…”

No.

“It ends now.”

He swung the sword held in both hands.

And immediately after,

A black wave, a trajectory like a meteor covering the heavens.

Beyond her entire body, even the surrounding space.

Even the ground where she stood, the space itself.

Without a trace, the black wave became a rough tide, devouring everything as if consuming it all.

‘This is…’

Only after a long time had passed did Tronel regain consciousness.

She looked around at the astonishing sight where everything except the area where she stood had vanished as if it had disappeared.

A piercingly brilliant starry sky.

And a pale half-moon shining white above.

Because everything around her, except herself, had vanished.

It had truly become as he said.

Despite suffering a miserable defeat, she couldn’t even feel unjustly treated.

“My… Lord.”

She barely managed to hold her trembling heart.

Thud!

She hastily caught her rosary as it was about to fall to the ground.

Yet somehow, the ominous feeling that had blossomed within her… simply wouldn’t fade away.