Twin Lance Knight (3)

-Crash!!

“…Huff, cough.”

As if bounced off something, Cornelio lay sprawled on the floor, continuously coughing violently.

“What kind of ‘crystal’ is that? To think it can hide and transport a person inside!”

“…”

“And not being able to breathe while inside—you should have at least told me beforehand. I didn’t die, but I almost did!”

Looking up at the large man who silently looked down at him while holding a black crystal, Cornelio Difind shouted angrily.

“About that, you don’t need to worry.”

From behind the large man, the Saint who had walked out naturally said.

“This crystal was developed in secret by our Holy Nation to transport bulky items or livestock. Of course, it’s painful because you can’t breathe, but you won’t die from it. We’ve transported livestock in it many times, and not once has anything died.”

“What’s with that tone?”

Cornelio narrowed his eyes and growled.

“Talking to a person as if I’m some object—”

“That’s right.”

The Saint quietly cut off his words.

“You are our Holy Nation’s property.”

“…What?”

“Didn’t I tell you? A hound. Just like a hunting dog, you only need to act as we command.”

“Listen here, Miss Saint.”

Cornelio stood up.

“Perhaps because you’re a precious person who’s never been to war, you don’t seem to understand how terrifying it is to be stabbed by a blade.”

“You insolent—!”

“I could show you, you know?”

-Grab…!

Blocking with his bare hand the sword swung toward him, Cornelio growled.

“Y-you bastard!”

Ignoring the Holy Knight who shouted in a panicked voice, Cornelio thrust his contorted face toward the Saint.

“How about it, miss? Think of it as a good experience—want to try having a hole punched in your belly?”

“…Of course, someone like you could kill all of us here and escape.”

However, the Saint replied without changing her expression.

“But you know well that the one who would suffer the most from such a foolish act would be you, Sir Cornelio, don’t you?”

“…”

“If you’re confident you can safely escape from the kingdom’s army, who are burning with desire to tear you apart and kill you, without our help… well, I won’t stop you.”

The Saint smiled slightly and let her words trail off.

“…Damn it all!”

-Crash!!

Cornelio shouted and threw the large man, along with the sword he had gripped with his bare hand.

Leaving behind the large man who had fallen without even screaming, Cornelio growled at the Saint with somewhat diminished intensity.

“Don’t act so high and mighty, with these worthless guys as your escorts…”

“But we have you, don’t we?”

The Saint said calmly, shrugging her shoulders.

“Why would I need any particularly strong escorts? You’ll keep me alive.”

“…Damn it.”

Cornelio twisted the corner of his mouth sharply and turned his head. The Saint continued.

“Until further instructions, just hide somewhere suitable according to the guidelines we’ve provided.”

“…Fine.”

“If we need you, we’ll contact you separately.”

The Saint slightly bowed her head toward the teeth-grinding Cornelio and left.

“Then, goodbye.”

“…”

-Bulge.

Blue veins protruded on the back of Cornelio’s hand as he watched the Saint’s retreating figure.

Back to the present.

Staring at Delphina, Cornelio asked quietly.

“Kid, you know me?”

“…Of course I do.”

Suppressing her pounding heart, Delphina forcibly twisted the corner of her mouth and said,

“Former 6th seat of the Kingdom’s Seven Swords, Twin Lance Knight Cornelio.”

“It’s 5th seat!!”

Cornelio shouted with veins bulging in his neck.

“I was 5th seat! If I hadn’t let my guard down against that damn brat, I would have…!”

“And a coward who shamefully fled the kingdom.”

At Delphina’s quiet remark, the heated Cornelio fell silent.

“Am I wrong?”

“…Fine.”

Cornelio said in a low voice. A rumbling like that of a carnivore reverberated through his protruding Adam’s apple.

“You, girl, have been sentenced to death.”

“The one sentenced to death is you, deserter.”

Delphina retorted indifferently while swinging her hammer.

“…Oh, that emblem.”

Cornelio tilted his head as he saw Delphina’s hammer.

“I’ve seen it somewhere. Where was it?”

“…”

“Ah, I remember.”

Looking at Delphina, who was silently frowning, Cornelio grinned.

“Nasisa, that old hag’s emblem.”

“…Tsk.”

“Are you her daughter? Or a relative? A branch of the same family?”

After tilting his head left and right, Cornelio shook his head and said,

“…It doesn’t matter. You’ll die here anyway.”

“Watch your nonsense.”

-Swoosh.

Lore said in a cold voice.

“Do you even know who you’re talking about killing in front of a Polaris Academy instructor?”

“…Well well. I’ve seen you somewhere too.”

Tilting his head again, Cornelio said,

“You’re that guy? The soldier I saw at the Holy Nation’s defense line.”

“…”

“Huh? That’s strange. Why would a mere soldier be an instructor at Polaris Academy…?”

-Bang!!

From the tip of the dagger in Lore’s hand, an Aura Blade shot out like a bullet.

-Clang!!

The extended Aura Blade collided with the cross-shaped short lances.

“W-what?!”

“…He blocked it!”

Cornelio and Lore shouted simultaneously in surprised voices.

-Clash!!

Cornelio twisted his wrist to forcibly deflect the Aura Blade and snarled.

“What are you?! You were a soldier, I remember it clearly! There was no face like yours among the knights!! Why is a soldier using an Aura Blade?!”

“Cornelio!!”

Aiming her hammer at him, Delphina shouted.

“In the name of Knight Delphina Cornwall of the Failon Kingdom Army, I arrest you! If you resist, you will be shot immediately!”

“Arrest? ARREST?!”

Cornelio shouted back at Delphina.

“How generous of you, talking about arrest! I thought you’d try to kill me right away…!”

At his words, Delphina nodded.

“That’s right. We’ll arrest you and hold an execution ceremony on the kingdom’s main road. Even if you die here, your head will be nailed in the middle of the kingdom’s main road for seven days as a laughingstock.”

“Ha, haha. Hahaha.”

Cornelio shook his head and laughed loudly. After laughing for a while, the corner of his eye twisted sharply.

“A brat who hasn’t even been weaned from her mother’s milk dares to…”

“You’re utterly vulgar. Indeed, the position of 6th seat of the Kingdom’s Seven Swords was too much for you…”

“It’s 5th seat!!!!!!!!!”

Cornelio shouted, losing his composure.

“It’s 5th seat, 5th! 5th!!!!! If it weren’t for that damn woman, I would have…!!”

“Enough with the shameful excuses.”

Delphina said as if mocking him.

“She rose to the position of 2nd seat among the Kingdom’s Seven Swords even after defeating you. Your defeat was inevitable, and she’s already someone you can’t even hope to match.”

“Shut up!!!!”

“Admit what you must admit. If you’re a knight.”

Delphina added with a slight smile.

“Well, I suppose honor as a knight is out of the question since you betrayed the kingdom and ran away.”

“You little…!”

Cornelio growled, bloodshot eyes blazing. Firmly gripping her hammer aimed at him, Delphina thought,

‘It really works in actual combat. Trash talk…’

‘You understand, Delphina?’

In her mind, the warm voice of her mother, Nasisa, echoed.

‘To win in a fight, not only skill but also your tongue is important.’

‘Tongue?’

To young Delphina’s question, Nasisa nodded with a smile.

‘Yes. Depending on how well you use your tongue, you can confuse your opponent, or induce carelessness or misjudgment to defeat even a more skilled opponent.’

‘Hmm…’

‘For example, you could touch on your opponent’s weaknesses, or scratch their pride, or if that doesn’t work, just curse at them…’

‘What on earth are you teaching the child!’

That day’s lesson eventually ended with her father’s back-hand smashing, but Delphina had never forgotten her mother’s words for a moment.

‘Moreover, despite his appearance, Cornelio has veteran experience decades ahead of mine.’

He was a formidable opponent for someone like her who lacked actual combat experience.

Although she had won against the lowest-ranked member of the Kingdom’s Seven Swords in a duel, she was not yet officially one of the Kingdom’s Seven Swords.

If she graduated from the academy and became an official knight of the kingdom, she would immediately inherit the name of the Kingdom’s Seven Swords.

In other words, her position was still unofficial. She hadn’t experienced actual combat yet and was still a student in the academy’s knight department.

‘I absolutely cannot let him escape. The best outcome would be to completely subdue him and find out how he infiltrated, but if that’s not possible, I must end this by killing him.’

Glancing back at Bell Lore who was gathering Aura behind her, Delphina thought,

‘Fortunately, with the instructor here… it’s 2 against 1. We clearly have the advantage.’

Lore, who met her eyes, nodded slightly.

Delphina nodded back at him and pulled her hammer inward for a better grip.

“So, you’re going to gang up on me, is that it?”

Cornelio nodded and slightly moved the two short lances in his hands.

“Two against one, you think you can beat me, is that what you’re thinking? So obvious, completely obvious.”

Cornelio exhaled an unusually long breath and said,

“But you know… Do you think I would have barged in here without any countermeasures, knowing there were two of you gathered?”

His exhale easily lasted over 10 seconds. It seemed beyond the lung capacity of a human.

Faced with this inexplicable strangeness, Delphina gulped nervously.

-Crack, crack.

Simultaneously, Cornelio’s body began to distort and swell in a bizarre manner.

His appearance started to deviate more and more from human form. Thick, coarse hair sprouted over his skin, and thick, sharp claws rose from his fingertips.

His spine greatly protruded upward, transforming into a shape reminiscent of a quadrupedal beast forced to stand on two legs, and at its end emerged a tail covered with dog-like fur.

“…T-that form.”

Lore’s eyes widened. It was definitely a form he had seen somewhere in his memory.

It was an unforgettable memory. It was the most shocking and horrific memory of his life.

With his gaze fixed on the transforming Cornelio, he muttered in a trembling voice.

“Magical Beast…!”