Chapter 28: Demon Realm (2)

Screech—

Ha…

After checking the contents, I stood there dumbfounded, my mouth wide open.

Aaron, too, couldn’t even bring himself to open the lid of the box, his gaze utterly captivated by my sword.

‘He have sent quite a fine sword.’

The words of the head of the Barten House, as he handed me the box, came to mind.

If this is only “quite a fine sword,”

Then what on earth would be a masterpiece or a legendary blade?

“It’s even better than I imagined.”

The hilt was finished with some unknown material, its texture foreign to me.

Above that, a dark blade drew out a chilling aura as it left its sheath.

With trembling hands, I lifted the sword.

Despite its long blade, the weight was never excessive—

It looked easy enough to wield one-handed.

Aaron watched, awe in his eyes.

“They say weapons crafted by Dwarves are worth a thousand gold coins…”

Now that I was holding it myself, I understood.

No wonder knights become obsessed with acquiring such fine arms.

An intricate engraving caught my eye, etched into the dark blade as if to devour the light.

Dragon Tooth .

A fitting name, indeed.

I slid the sword into the scabbard that had been stored alongside it.

It felt as if I’d found the partner to my soul, my heart swelling with anticipation.

Who would’ve thought a day would come when I’d be so excited over a single sword?

“Congratulations. It seems you’ve found your destined weapon.”

Aaron let out a cryptic remark.

He explained that every knight, at least once, encounters a weapon that sets their heart racing.

“That’s right. If you’re going to pull out a dragon’s heart, nothing beats a dragon’s tooth.”

Of course, we’d have to head to the Elven Forest first.

The thought that it was impossible to cross the Demon Realm surrounding the forest no longer occurred to me.

If anything, I was looking forward to meeting the elves.

“I can’t wait to test it out.”

I gripped my new fang, eager for the journey ahead.

***

As soon as dawn broke, Aaron and I embraced our beloved weapons and left through the main gate of the Barten House.

“Young master, are you sure about this?”

Aaron, clinging tightly to my arm, asked with concern.

It was understandable—

The journey from Barten House to the Demon Realm wasn’t a matter of a day or two.

Unless we planned to walk for months on end, horses were absolutely necessary.

The problem was, I had no idea how to ride a horse.

I’d never even touched one, let alone learned to ride.

“Let’s just get going for now.”

In the end, I had no choice but to ride behind Aaron, who was skilled at horsemanship.

Thud—

The powerful horse kicked off the ground, and I tightened my grip around Aaron, afraid of falling.

At first, it wasn’t so bad.

Maybe because Aaron was considerate, riding wasn’t as uncomfortable as I’d thought.

But as time went by, my backside started to ache…

It was getting harder to endure.

I never imagined riding would be this grueling.

We hadn’t even been on the road for an hour yet.

“Should we take a break?”

“It’s fine.”

I shook my head.

If we stopped every hour, we’d never make it to the Demon Realm.

“We just have to endure for a few days.”

Of course, I wasn’t planning to travel like this forever.

Watching Aaron’s broad back, I observed carefully how he handled the horse.

Those difficult days repeated for several more.

We rode northward without rest.

[You have acquired the skill: Horsemanship.]

[Current proficiency—F]

Finally.

I rubbed my sore backside and glared at the system window floating before my eyes.

It sure took its time appearing.

“Let’s get another horse at the next village.”

After that, my situation improved.

With a horse obtained from a fairly large village, I spurred it onward.

“…Did you know how to ride all along?”

Aaron, riding beside me, gave me a curious look.

Surely he didn’t think I just wanted an excuse to ride together?

“I learned by watching you, that’s all.”

Even so, Aaron’s gaze remained suspicious.

Honestly, this personal knight of mine was far too skeptical.

And so, several more days of riding passed.

While the southern parts of the northern continent were overrun with undead,

Up here, it was truly peaceful—Not even a single monster showed itself.

“They usually cause so much trouble, but now, not a single one in sight.”

Aaron seemed to be thinking the same thing, muttering with an obviously disappointed expression.

“Are you that eager to try out your spear?”

The spear Aaron carried, crafted by a Dwarf, was named ‘Horntail’.

With no unnecessary ornamentation, its sharp tip suited Aaron’s practical nature.

Perhaps because I also wanted to try out my new sword, I could understand his feelings.

***

A monster finally blocked our path as we neared the Borhem Kingdom.

“I’ll take care of—”

“Young master, I’ll handle it immediately!”

Before I could finish, Aaron spurred his horse forward.

With eyes blazing and his spear gripped tightly, he looked every bit the battle-mad warrior.

…He really did look a bit crazed.

I’d wanted to swing Dragon Tooth myself.

But before I could even say anything, the monster was skewered by Aaron’s charge.

“Seriously! My personal knight doesn’t even listen to me!”

To this, Aaron replied, “How could I let my lord face such a savage beast—”

He was just as excited about his new weapon as a child.

After cleaning his spear, Aaron asked,

“By the way, will you be stopping by the Borhem Kingdom?”

“No. We’ll head straight for the Demon Realm.”

The Borhem Kingdom had long fought against the monsters descending from the Demon Realm.

Being this close meant we were almost at our destination.

“But… is the Elven Forest really at the heart of the Demon Realm?”

“I told you, it is.”

Even though I’d explained it several times, Aaron still looked doubtful.

“Don’t overthink it. It’s just the natural order of the ecosystem.”

The Elven Forest, overflowing with the essence of life.

And surrounding it, the Demon Realm.

At first glance, it seemed an odd combination—

But in truth, it was a natural consequence.

Monsters, drawn by the World Tree’s Life Force, gathered there.

Eventually, so many ferocious beasts amassed that it became known as the Demon Realm, or the Forest of Monsters.

For the elves, it wasn’t all bad—

There was no better barrier to hide their sanctuary than the Demon Realm itself.

“There it is.”

After riding for a while, a vast, lush forest came into view in the distance.

The endless waves of green made it clear this was no ordinary woodland.

***

Yawn… mmm…

A bored Borhem Soldier, Wilson, stretched and yawned.

Something caught his eye far off in the distance.

Squinting, he saw two figures on horseback advancing toward the Demon Realm.

Noticing Wilson as well, the two quickly turned their horses his way.

“Who goes there? State your identity!”

He leveled his spear at the pair as they approached.

But one of them looked oddly familiar, as if he’d seen that face somewhere before.

“You’re working hard. Are you a Borhem soldier?”

A boy, wearing a well-made crown and a thick cloak, spoke up.

Wilson examined the boy’s face closely.

Sharp eyes, jet-black hair, strikingly handsome features—

And the crown on his head suggested he was a prince from some kingdom.

“I haven’t heard of any foreign royalty visiting our country…”

Suspicious, Wilson raised his voice politely.

“Your destination is the Demon Realm. Please identify yourselves!”

“This is the Batenberg Bloodline, Young Master Richard von Batenberg.”

It was the knight beside the boy who spoke.

The statement was shocking—

The Batenberg scion was not just nobility, but someone even more distinguished and dangerous.

Only then did Wilson realize why the boy’s face looked so familiar.

He’d once seen his portrait, along with certain rumors.

“Y-Young Master Richard von Batenberg of the Batenberg Bloodline!”

Wilson hurriedly bowed.

No one in the north would dare impersonate a Batenberg—

And faces that handsome were hardly common.

“Well, that’s convenient. Would you look after our horses? We’ll come back for them later.”

“Uh, y-yes?”

Richard and Aaron dismounted in one swift motion, handing over the reins.

Wilson took them automatically, blinking in confusion.

Was it just his imagination, or did it really seem like the young master was headed straight into the Demon Realm?

“Um, excuse me…”

“Thanks. Take care.”

Richard patted Wilson’s shoulder a couple of times and strode past.

Then he suddenly turned and spoke,

“You didn’t see me here. If your kingdom sends troops into the Demon Realm looking for me, I hope you realize that would be a mistake. Truly.”

Though his lips smiled, his eyes were cold as steel.

It was clear: cross him, and there’d be consequences.

Just as the rumors said.

“R-Richard, young master! Please, wait!”

Wilson called out desperately, his face gone pale,

But Richard moved on without hesitation.

“Young master, wouldn’t it be better to rest and recover your strength?”

Aaron asked in a worried voice as he followed.

The Demon Realm was so dangerous that a kingdom guarded its entrance—

After riding without rest, heading straight in was no small feat.

But Richard had his reasons.

“If Borhem learns I’m entering the Demon Realm, they won’t sit still. That would be a problem.”

***

“Stay alert.”

As soon as we entered the Demon Realm, the atmosphere changed in an instant.

The dense, silent forest—At first glance, it seemed peaceful, but the silence that pervaded was not peace, but tension.

Richard and Aaron pressed on.

How far had they gone when something massive appeared before them?

A monstrous creature with knobby, green skin and legs thicker than a grown man’s waist—

A Troll, one of the Borhem Kingdom’s most troublesome foes.

“Aaron, stay out of this.”

Richard’s eyes glinted as he looked at the troll,

A foe even veteran knights struggled to handle.

He drew Dragon Tooth from his back, and as his gaze deepened, a chill swept through the air.

—KUWOOOR!

Richard dodged the troll’s swinging fist and slashed with his sword.

Slick—!

In a single strike, the troll’s neck split open, exposing its thick vertebrae.

Before the viscous green blood could even flow, the wound froze solid.

—K-Kukh!

As the troll clutched its neck, merciless blows followed,

And the monster, a four-star beast on par with a lesser king, soon lay collapsed on the ground.

Wounds covered its body, each blooming with ice crystals.

“This is…”

Isn’t this just weapon power?

Richard looked down at his sword.

Having finally swung Dragon Tooth, he realized it was sharper and more responsive than he’d imagined.

He hadn’t used any Aura, faith, or even Holy Aura.

Just a simple swing had sliced through the troll’s tough hide with ease.

“A sword like that would be considered a masterpiece even among Dwarves.”

Right?

Aaron, impressed, nodded in agreement.

If Dwarves could mass-produce swords like this, the continent would belong to them.

“They may have allied with Batenberg, but a sword like this isn’t something they’d hand out lightly.”

Setting aside his suspicions, Richard turned his gaze back to the troll.

—Groan!

The green monster let out a phlegmy snarl as it rose.

Most of its wounds had already healed.

No matter how sharp Dragon Tooth was, a mere swing could only cut through flesh and muscle.

“Trolls must have their Mana Stone destroyed to die.”

“I know.”

And to destroy that Mana Stone, you first had to break through their tough bones.

Kuuu—

Energy surged through the fang in Richard’s hand.

He smiled as the troll charged at him.

Crack!

The troll’s right arm was cleanly severed and flew off.

A single stroke—

Wham—!

With another swing, the troll’s left arm dropped to the ground.

Aura—no, not just ordinary Aura, but Holy Aura—carried that much power.

Its sharpness surpassed that of a seasoned high knight,

And the physical buff it provided was superior even to royal Artifact heirlooms.

—GUOOOOR!

The armless troll collapsed onto the dirt,

Unable to feel pain, it simply glared at Richard, gnashing its teeth.

“Lucky me. A troll appeared right away.”

Muttering, Richard flexed his hand.

“Young master, what are you doing?”

To kill a troll, you had to pierce its heart and shatter its Mana Stone,

But instead, Richard simply thrust his hand in.

“I’m harvesting the Mana Stone.”

He withdrew his hand from the troll’s chest, grinning.

From his palm, a Mana Stone pulsed with pure Life Force.