Ch.330EP.69 – The Knight Cheers for the Youth(10)

Scratch, scratch.

In the office, only the soft sound of an expensive fountain pen filling the margins of paper could be heard.

The office was equipped with only what was necessary, reflecting its owner’s personality, and even the angle between the chair and desk was precise, revealing the character of the person who maintained it.

In this silent office where no sound existed except for the fountain pen—

“It seems we’ve been found out. What do you plan to do?”

“……”

Scratch…

A stranger’s voice was heard.

“……”

Though clearly only one man had been in the office, suddenly a middle-aged man was speaking to him. For the first time, the movement of the fountain pen ceased.

“…I believe I told you not to enter without permission.”

“I apologize for that, but I was curious. You seem too calm about the situation.”

“It’s none of your concern.”

“My, how can you say that? We’re in the same boat, after all.”

“Know your place. Do you think temporarily joining forces with the likes of you makes us comrades?”

“How cold.”

The two didn’t appear to be on good terms.

Rather, the office owner seemed to unilaterally despise the middle-aged man.

Though one might feel offended by such treatment, the middle-aged man merely shrugged his shoulders, perhaps not wanting to upset the host who was hiding “them.”

“Well, I’ll mind my words. I have no desire to defy the master of Lohengrin.”

“……”

The man’s brow furrowed further.

That statement felt like mockery to him.

– Roseth Tyura de Lohengrin.

He was none other than the current head of the noble Lohengrin family, and Roseth finally put down his fountain pen to seriously meet the middle-aged man’s gaze.

“I hear they call your kind parasites out there? I can see why. You’re nothing but incompetent beings who can only leech off others and accomplish nothing.”

“That’s a bit harsh…”

“Am I wrong? You claimed you could do anything if you set your minds to it. Yet contrary to your words, you continue to fail and suffer consecutive defeats at the hands of a mere knight. Do you know what I think about this?”

“……”

“‘Regret.’ Regret for having joined forces with such an incompetent group, and self-loathing.”

“Hmm….”

“If I had any means to replace you, I would have done so without hesitation. That’s how useless you are. You worthless creatures.”

“……”

“Stop disappointing me. Otherwise, I don’t know what I might do… Show me results. If not, you will meet your end by my hand, no one else’s.”

“……”

“Leave. Unlike you idle fools, I’m busy.”

It was a cold dismissal, and the middle-aged man could only leave with a bitter smile.

Though he wanted to object…

‘I have nothing to refute.’

Because everything said was nothing but the truth.

“……”

Tap…

Even after confirming the middle-aged man had left, Roseth couldn’t continue working due to the rising displeasure he couldn’t suppress.

Crumble.

The fountain pen in his hand had long since crumbled to dust, and Roseth sighed.

“My temperament is indeed problematic.”

Getting so angry just because a pest acted somewhat unpleasantly—what was he thinking?

He should know how to calm himself, and Roseth was reproaching himself for failing to do so.

Then Roseth,

“……”

Click.

After confirming there was no presence around his office, opened one of the desk drawers and took something out.

Golden, shining hair.

It appeared to be human hair, and despite being in the drawer for a long time, it hadn’t lost its luster, suggesting some magical treatment had been applied. As Roseth caressed this hair, he smiled faintly for the first time.

As if just looking at it made him happy.

And then.

“…I miss you. So very much… So please wait. No matter what means I must use, I will surely reclaim you.”

Even if…!

“Even if I have to sacrifice your daughter, that wench with the filthy blood of Galahad—”

Roseth muttered as if making a promise to himself, and smiled.

Brightly.

“—Truly the most insane man I’ve ever seen. How can such a person exist?”

Meanwhile, though Roseth believed no one was around, the middle-aged man was sneering as he watched what Roseth was doing through the window outside, wearing a cold smirk.

As if thinking what a disgusting person he was.

“Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, it makes me feel sick as well.”

“Heh heh, I suppose it’s affection in its own way. A maddened love-hate.”

“…To me, it just looks like obsession. The obsession of a mentally ill person.”

“That’s not wrong either.”

The middle-aged man nodded readily.

Just as he said, Roseth, the master of Lohengrin, had gone mad long ago.

Otherwise, would he cooperate with them?

It wasn’t something a great noble, the master of an honorable Holy Knight family, would do—he was already a man walking a blood-soaked path.

However.

“Well, we’re making good use of him thanks to that.”

Thanks to his appropriate level of madness, they were able to use Lohengrin, which was fortunate.

The middle-aged man was satisfied with this fact alone, and contentedly…

“Ah, by the way…”

“?”

“I heard that someone from Lohengrin sent assassins after some impudent person using their name. They said they were fugitives from the Empire.”

“…At this particular time?”

“Don’t you know about noble pride? They probably wanted to punish someone impersonating their family name.”

“What if this impersonator is a dangerous person?”

“I’m worried about that too, but they told me not to worry. They said this person is completely different from any known dangerous individuals. Besides, what’s the point of worrying? It’s already in motion.”

“No, what…”

The middle-aged man’s eyes trembled slightly.

They caused trouble when they should be keeping quiet?

And they did this despite knowing they were there?

…These great nobles!

“Sometimes they seem worse than us.”

They’re undeniably insane to an absurd degree.

“Sigh, I’ll have to hope this resolves smoothly.”

Rather than worrying about something already done, the middle-aged man could only hope it would be resolved.

…Well.

CRACK-!

“Is this all you’ve got?”

“……”

“Ah, I was foolish. What’s the point of talking to people who came to kill me? Fighting is the answer.”

“……”

“—Here I come.”

WHOOSH!

…The problem was that, contrary to the middle-aged man’s hopes, Lohengrin’s choice had been the worst possible one.

They didn’t yet realize they had disturbed a hornet’s nest.

* * *

SLASH!!

The hand axe thrown by the knight didn’t target the assassins attacking him but struck empty air.

Yet there was a sound of something being cut in what was clearly empty space, and suddenly…

THUD!

…A human figure appeared out of nowhere and began to collapse.

The short staff they held indicated they were a mage, but this wasn’t a particularly positive sign.

“Y-You bastaaaaard!”

CRACKLE!

A lightning-infused psychic storm.

Though blood was pouring from his chest, the mage was barely clinging to life thanks to a magical barrier, and as if burning with rage, he concentrated all his remaining mana into one desperate strike aimed at a single target.

It was a strike where a mage, and seemingly an experienced one at that, poured everything he had into it, powerful enough to pierce even a large magical beast in one blow, but…

FLAP.

Drip…

“…Huh?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know a spellcaster’s methods?”

There he was, having pierced through the storm of psychic force and magnetic field in an instant to impale the mage’s neck.

The knight cast an emotionless gaze as he finished off the mage, and then.

CRACK!

He twisted the neck in a direction it should never go.

“Master Ban-ri!!”

It was Assassin 3 crying out the dead mage’s name, and the knight showed the leisure to casually dust off his hands while retrieving his hand axe.

“You, how dare…!”

WHOOSH!

Assassin 3 charged with a hate-filled expression, thrusting his blade forward.

The aura he emitted was extraordinary, even making the surrounding air ripple, clearly indicating he was a master who could emit battle qi.

This expert, who could be called a top-tier knight, then—

CRUNCH!

“Aaaaargh…!”

“This one’s funny too? You came to kill me first, so why act like a victim? Are you mentally ill or something?”

The knight effortlessly blocked the destructive strike with the edge of his hand and snapped Assassin 3’s wrist like a twig, wearing an expression of disbelief.

“Both you and that spellcaster I just broke the neck of reek of blood?”

“T-This…”

“Hmm, where have I seen you before? That spellcaster and you, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere.”

CRACK!

“!!?”

The knight’s hand had already roughly grabbed the opponent’s jaw, and after alternately examining Assassin 3’s face and the dead spellcaster’s, he wore an expression as if something was on the tip of his tongue.

Like he’d seen them somewhere before.

As he pondered this, suddenly—

SWISH!

SWISH!

Silent needle-shaped throwing weapons flew at him, but he easily deflected and blocked these as well.

However, this was his opponent’s true aim.

The throwing weapons were launched with the expectation they would be blocked.

But.

“Fool! Arachne’s poison has acidity comparable to hydrochloric acid! The moment you block it, your hand will melt…”

“Ah, I remember now. You’re [Bloodwind], right? The assassination group that operated in the Empire.”

…It seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.

“……”

“The name is really childish, but you’re a group of lunatics who kill ruthlessly and cruelly, not sparing pregnant women or children if it serves your purpose, right? The stupid bunch who targeted the Empire’s military faction leader but ended up having your organization destroyed and became wanted criminals.”

CRACK…!

“No wonder you gave off such a disgusting smell. That was the reason.”

“T-The poison should have…”

Assassin 2’s pupils trembled as he looked at the knight who calmly recited their background while breaking Assassin 3’s neck with one hand.

He realized this was not someone who would fall so easily.

But what was even more shocking was—

“Well, let’s end the games here…”

CRUNCH!

…The knight’s form, no, his body was—

—[transforming].

Growing large and mighty, and,

“…About fifty of you? That’s good. Even if I leave just one or two alive, extracting information will be easy.”

The assassins’ bodies trembled as they watched the knight transform, no, [evolve] into an ‘excessively violent form.’

His upper clothing had long since disappeared due to his bursting muscles, and the knight, now clad in a muscular armor that even surpassed full plate armor—

BOOM!

—proceeded to flip the entire surrounding area.

This wasn’t a figurative expression…

RUMBLE!

Literally, the ground was being flipped over.

…That day, a 4.2 magnitude earthquake occurred, but people merely dismissed it as a minor incident as windows only shook slightly.

Not suspecting that this earthquake was artificially created.

He could have caused an even greater tremor if he wanted, but thanks to the kind consideration of the knight who supported the young people enjoying their party, the festivities—the party of youthful spirits—could continue uninterrupted.