episode_0130

“Let’s hold on to it for now.”

It doesn’t matter even if you’re not a devil follower.

Because it is an undeniable fact that they are spreading suspicious things in places where other people catch fish.

He turned the boat around and approached the suspicious men.

“Wait, stop.”

I’m trying to open a portal on the ship in case they escape.

“켁.”

“Cough… .”

“?”

The men immediately started foaming at the mouth and fell over.

…no way?

“This kind of thing.”

I immediately went through the portal and crossed over to the ship.

But it was already too late.

“Krrrr.”

Blood bubbles flow out between the lips.

He took the poison without a moment’s hesitation.

At this point, it was scary.

Is it that the instinct of living creatures to protect their lives has been turned off?

Acting so confidently as if it were nothing.

The sight of him dying because you spoke to him was the epitome of madness.

No matter what, it’s like that.

Surely not everyone was consumed by madness.

I looked around, thinking there might be at least one person still alive.

As expected, there was one person in the corner pretending to be dead.

“Wake up.”

“… … ”

“If you don’t answer, I’ll break your fingers one by one… .”

Wood crack!

“Kkaaah!!!”

A man whose arm turned in the opposite direction.

Elin had tied it up with chains and broken it.

Let’s look at Elin blankly.

“… I think you’ll answer like this.”

Slightly avoid eye contact.

They tried to get information through threats.

First of all, break my arm.

“If you don’t want your other arm to be like this, answer.”

“Khahahahaha! The other arm? Is this what you mean?”

The man showed his other arm…not his prosthetic arm.

I replaced my arm with a prosthetic one in advance in case it gets broken.

He is a guy who is very prepared.

“… Isn’t that right?”

Ellen muttered quietly, but I ignored her.

“What were you doing here?”

“I think I’ll tell you that… Ugh… !”

Leo, who had just arrived, stepped on my ankle.

It seems that he came over as soon as the boat docked and assessed the situation.

“You still seem to be a newbie since you haven’t made up your mind yet. Get out now. Tell me everything you know and I’ll spare your life.”

“Get out? Haha―!”

match!

Just as he was about to burst out laughing as if he found it ridiculous, Leo slapped him in the face.

“Just answer the question. What kind of powder is that?”

As expected, it’s a secret task force.

The interrogation technique was solid.

“Do you think he’ll tell me… … Kik, if only he could come down… … !”

Leo tried to push himself as hard as he could, as if he was going to break the ankle he was stepping on.

“Dead.”

Whether it was the poison that triggered the heart.

Blood flowed out of his mouth.

It was just like Luke on a bad day.

“It doesn’t seem like you poisoned yourself.”

“It looks like there’s a gold standard.”

As soon as I tried to talk about the devil, the poison kicked in.

This means that there is no point in capturing and interrogating followers in the future.

“Seo, Saintess.”

The face of the fisherman steering the boat turned pale.

I volunteered because it was said to be the saint’s work.

That’s because I never thought someone would die.

Aurora answered with a delicate frown.

“That’s because they are heretics who believe in the devil.”

“Oh, is that so… .”

The fisherman made a promise to himself.

If you disbelieve in God, your arms will break and you will vomit blood and die.

I have to believe it unconditionally.

A ship with only cold men lying around.

Did you sow it diligently?

There was nothing left in the bag that had contained the powder.

“First, let’s pull the ship to land and investigate… .”

Luke paused.

I felt a cold gaze from somewhere.

A feeling of coldness seeping into the joints.

Let’s turn our heads creakingly.

“… Teacher.”

Ellin was also looking at the same place.

A man wearing a black robe walks from afar.

Did you get out of here in the meantime?

I thought so, but it didn’t make sense.

“… Useless guys.”

This is on the sea.

Although it was impossible to walk, the man stood upright on both legs.

Beyond the sense of discomfort, a sense of crisis is ringing the alarm bell.

“… … !”

No one could move.

The aura that the man gave off was so strong.

“Things went wrong.”

A low voice that seems to seep into your bones.

Elin’s stupid hair stood on end.

My shoulders were shaking.

My breathing became rapid.

But his face was not visible because it was covered by a robe.

There was no way I could have been mistaken.

The voice that came every night and swung a whip.

Because it was the same voice that had been used to despise me and say I was useless.

“… …Father?”

Ellen was sure.

Carl Chad Bertain.

Elin’s father and the current head of the Bertain family was wearing the robes of a demon follower.

* * * * *

It’s the worst.

From the moment the Duke went on a business trip and there was no news, I had a rough idea that he was up to something suspicious.

But that has to do with the devil.

I never thought that it would be a demon resurrection that would use the entire empire as a magic circle.

“Tsk.”

Peacock with a tongue.

He glares at Elin without saying anything and then moves his feet.

The energy that had been weighing down my whole body has faded.

No one thought of chasing after him.

It was because I didn’t have the confidence to catch the Sword Master above the water.

The one who dared to attack was Elin.

Chorus!

The chain stretched out in the air and aimed for the peacock along a free path.

Crunch-

Don’t even look back.

They were all cut down by the duke who didn’t even draw his sword.

The peacock slowly turned around.

Blue eyes flashed.

“You’re so cheeky.”

“… … Hibap.”

Elin slumped down.

It trembled with a sound as if its lungs were being crushed.

Luke ran to Elin, banging his stiff legs.

At some point, the peacock became invisible.

“… I have to go back.”

Leo broke the silence.

A clear anger appeared on his hardened face.

“It is certain that Duke Bertain has been possessed by the devil. Now that his identity has been revealed, he will cause trouble.”

Words filled with strong conviction.

Luke had no doubts.

Because Leo is a character who has endured harsh training as the next head of the household under the Duke.

“The duke was the one who sent the assassin to Elin.”

Kwak!

I held it so tightly that blood started flowing out of my palm.

Leo, who didn’t even realize that fact.

The peacock looked coldly at the spot where he had disappeared.

“It is also certain that they are trying to resurrect the devil.”

It was a reasonable guess.

All those who were after Elin were followers of the devil.

The Duke disappeared, telling his followers that he was ‘useless’.

“Ugh… Huh… Sob… .”

Elin, hugging Luke’s chest.

There was a thud and blood flowed from my nose.

Luke patted Elin on the back.

Aurora administered first aid using divine power.

“Take a deep breath, my lady. It’s okay.”

“Luke is here. Don’t worry.”

Aurora’s words didn’t have much effect.

My whole body became drenched in cold sweat.

The breathing is interrupted and stopped.

Traumatized eyes unfocused.

It was because the look the peacock gave me just now had properly stimulated the fear that had been dormant inside me.

Moreover, we found out that the person who sent the assassin was his biological father.

“Seo, teacher… … .”

“Look into my eyes. Breathe in and out slowly.”

Any sign of her being mature enough to let Luke sleep disappeared like a mirage.

I felt like I was back to being a 13 year old who couldn’t even eat properly without my teacher.

How long had it been since I had hugged Ellen’s body tightly and patted her?

With great difficulty, Elin’s true gaze returned.

“… Teacher.”

“I’m listening.”

“My unique magic was torn apart like a piece of paper.”

“Your opponent is a sword master, my lady.”

Even though it is a unique magic.

It was impossible to defeat the Sword Master’s formless sword.

Besides, isn’t it still unfinished?

“If we don’t resolve this… will this continue to happen in the future?”

I couldn’t figure out exactly what he was saying.

Does this mean I won’t be able to overcome trauma in the future?

Is it because the assassin keeps coming?

Is it that even the unique magic can’t overcome it?

Whatever it was, one thing was certain.

As long as the Duke lives.

I’m going to harass Elin terribly.

“Then… …will it end when I take over?”

“… … ”

succession.

That meant one thing.

Killing Karlchad Bertain.

Becoming the Bertain family head.

“Yes.”

Luke nodded.

I never thought about whether I could do it.

“I will help you.”

To keep Elin from suffering.

If that’s Ellen’s happiness.

I absolutely had to help.

* * * * *

The group returned to land.

Now that we know that the Empire’s Sword Master, Duke Bertain, is the enemy.

There was no time to share the secret task force and the Holy Nation.

“It seems like the Holy Nation should defend the East.”

Leo, with a bandage wrapped around his palm, explained the plan.

“We will head north.”

I will report Duke Bertain’s betrayal to the imperial family.

But before that, there is a high possibility that the Duke will attack.

Aurora leads the forces of the Holy Nation to block the east.

Leo investigates the North with the Secret Service.

If there were no devil’s mark in the North, the retreat would be long.

If the Demon Resurrection Circle has already been completed, there is a high possibility that it will attack the empire.

Anyway, if the devil is resurrected, the empire will not be able to use the name empire.

“Our goals are twofold:”

Leo extended his index and middle fingers.

“Damaging the magic circle.”

In fact, the standard way to prevent resurrection was to disrupt the magic circle.

“That might be a little difficult.”

However, there was a problem with the first method.

“It’s not a character that can be simply purified.”

The mark left at the entrance could not be erased even when the saint’s divine power was poured on it.

“This is a somewhat expected problem.”

Leo nodded and stopped.

“If we can’t destroy the magic circle, we have to protect Elin somehow.”

Leo looked straight at Elin.

“I’m going to be a little more rough in the future.”

“… to me?”

“I don’t know why, but it seems like I need you to complete the magic circle.”

Leo said he didn’t know, but Luke and Elin knew all too well.

Pure and infinite mana contained in Elin’s mana heart after the curse was lifted.

If you have that, you should be able to activate the magic circle.

As long as Mana Heart is intact, it doesn’t matter if you kill her.

“So, build a strong escort.”

Leo then turned his gaze to Luke.

He put his hand on my shoulder and asked me.

“Take responsibility for Elin.”

“… Yes.”

“Never think of protecting it alone.”

“There are many people who will help you if you ask.”

“That’s fortunate.”

I think there’s some other misunderstanding involved.

It wasn’t the right time to explain everything in detail, so I just nodded.

“Then let’s disband.”

Leo turned around.

Exactly.

Luke snapped his fingers and opened a portal to the north.

Exactly.

Elin opened a portal to the Bertain mansion.

Portals opened side by side.

The group headed to their respective seats.

Prevent the resurgence of demons on the continent.

To protect the next head of the Bertain family.