Three days had passed since we entered the Holy Sanctuary and began roaming around to destroy artifacts.
However, the Holy Sanctuary was much larger than expected, so we had only managed to handle four artifacts so far.
The unique atmosphere and air, which made the Holy Sanctuary feel gloomy, remained heavy.
Progress was already slow, but the situation didn’t allow us to focus solely on destroying artifacts.
“……They’re still following us.”
Count Georg and the Mercenary Band Wolfhound.
It was because those two groups were pursuing us with persistent tenacity.
“Huff, huff. C-Could we rest for just a moment before moving on?”
“We’ve only been walking for three hours, haven’t we?”
“……That’s not what’s important. I feel like I’m going to lose my mind after walking for three days without a single wink of sleep.”
Even Beatrice, who always maintained a powerful expression, was trembling as if she were about to collapse at any moment.
By the time we had penetrated deep into the Holy Sanctuary, we had destroyed a total of five artifacts.
We had removed them quickly at the start, but for some reason, the further in we went, the slower our pace felt.
But given their current state, it was impossible to proceed any further.
‘Besides, the reaction should be coming soon…….’
If I forced them to continue any further, it would be difficult to handle the situation that was about to unfold.
“Fine. Let’s find a place to rest first.”
As we moved to a suitable place nearby to hide and cleared out the internal Demonic Beasts, the sound of something exploding echoed from quite a distance away.
Boom! Boom! Bang!
“They’re certainly fighting loudly. The noise might draw Demonic Beasts to the area, so keep your breathing quiet while you rest. If they sense us and raid this place, there won’t be any rest to speak of.”
The sound of explosions coming from a distance was entirely different from the sound of gunpowder detonating.
It was a dissonant sound, as if sword strikes were carving through the ground and exploding.
The person capable of making such a sound was already determined.
“……That’s a vicious sound. Does that Mercenary Band Wolfhound never get tired?”
“As I said before, the Mercenary Band Wolfhound is a group that specializes in frontal warfare. With a small force of only thirty people, they can execute operations that would normally require three of the Lumin Kingdom’s Orders of Knights. Not only is their leader, Riki, elite, but the entire membership is as well. They can probably manage their condition to keep fighting for at least a week, let alone three days.”
“……I can see they’re an incredible group for mercenaries.”
I nodded in response to Sthrall’s comment.
“That part is what’s strangely bothering me.”
It would be one thing if it were just Riki, but the fact that all thirty members of the mercenary band were following Count Georg was certainly a puzzling sight.
This was despite each individual member being skilled enough to hold a high-ranking position elsewhere.
There were two hypotheses I could infer from this.
One: the mercenary members were following Riki.
The other: even the mercenary members had a reason they had to follow Count Georg.
‘Logically speaking, the former is more plausible.’
Regardless, I would soon be able to confirm this.
I closed my eyes for a moment, listening to the distant screams of Demonic Beasts and the sounds of the Mercenary Band Wolfhound struggling.
Based on the distance, it would take them over an hour to reach where I was.
“We will rest for one hour from now. It’s best to rest when you can. Once you open your eyes again, things are going to get chaotic.”=
“Alright, everyone up. It’s about time.”
One hour later.
I woke the others who were sleeping nearby by nudging them.
“Urgh, are we moving again?”
I shook my head at Murfin’s question.
“No, we fight here.”
“……What?”
“Because we’re currently surrounded.”
Laila, looking startled by my words, immediately scattered Mana into the surroundings.
“……It’s true.”
“No, why didn’t you wake us up until we were surrounded?”
At Beatrice’s question, I put my index finger to my lips and answered.
“Let’s leave that as a surprise for later.”
Glares flew at me from all around, as if asking what kind of crazy talk that was.
Ignoring them, I spoke to Elena.
“Just in case, be ready to cast Defense Magic at any time. So that you can deploy it immediately when I give the signal.”
“How much do you need?”
“You’ll need to prepare with the maximum capacity you can manage.”
“……Just what kind of scheme are you cooking up?”
Leaving behind Elena’s doubts as she began to assemble Mana with her hands clasped together, I spoke to the Special Task Force members.
“From now on, everyone, no matter what I say or what story I tell, do not make a sound, do not speak, and do not take any action. Only Elena needs to follow my signal.”
“……?”
Sthrall tilted his head and asked with his eyes why I was doing this, and I replied with a very serious tone.
“Because that’s the only way everyone will be safe.”
How much more time had passed?
After about five more minutes, the sound of trudging footsteps finally began to drift toward us.
I gave the Special Task Force members a final cautionary look and stepped toward the direction of the footsteps.
Soon, a familiar figure I had seen not long ago came into view.
“We meet again, Special Task Force Captain.”
“Call me Owen, Riki.”
“Hmm. If we’re going to be polite to each other, isn’t it right to use our titles?”
“One only shows courtesy to someone who deserves it. There’s no reason to strictly observe such things with someone who has come here with such a sinister purpose.”
“Sinister? That’s quite harsh. I’ve only come because I wanted you to show your face to my master.”
“Seeing as you brought your entire team just to forcibly drag away someone who said he wouldn’t come, it seems the master holding your leash is feeling quite desperate.”
Riki waved his hand toward the Special Task Force members who were watching the situation blankly from behind me.
“Hello, everyone. Nice to see you again.”
No one returned Riki’s greeting.
On the contrary, the atmosphere remained thick with vigilance, causing Riki to put on a look of regret.
“I didn’t expect you wouldn’t even accept a greeting. And here I thought we were old acquaintances.”
“It’s because we’re acquaintances that we’re like this. You’re a handful.”
“Ahaha. I’ll take that as a compliment.”
As we continued to exchange words, the sound of footsteps began to approach from behind Riki.
Frowning slightly, Riki turned his head back and spoke.
“Father. I told you I would bring him. Why did you come?”
“Because no matter how I thought about it, it is only proper that I come in person.”
The clanking sound of armor and the sword at his waist directly announced the fact that he was a Knight. However, despite that, his level felt similar to that of an ordinary Knight.
Since he was a Noble after all, he knew how to use a sword, but it felt as though he hadn’t progressed beyond that level.
“Is it your stubbornness to persist in doing what you were told not to? Count Georg.”
Because of that, I did not lower my guard toward Count Georg.
One must not forget that he had built up achievements while traveling through various battlefields since his days as an ordinary Knight to reach the rank of Count.
Achievements as a Knight do not only consist of matters resolved by the sword.
Count Georg was a commander who performed numerous operations while solidifying his position among the elite Nobility, and at the same time, his specialty was a tactic that secured maximum gain through minimum combat.
“I apologize if I have committed a discourtesy, Special Task Force Captain. However, I hope you understand that I, too, am in a desperate situation.”
“Why? Because you think the Whisper Family is going to cast you out?”
The family that had set their sights on him was none other than the Whisper Family.
It was the family to which the Black Knight, one of the three great knights of the Lumin Kingdom, belonged.
Count Georg looked flustered.
“H-How do you know that?”
“I’ll ask you instead. Why did you think I wouldn’t know?”
At my question, Count Georg’s expression turned solemn. On the other hand, there was no change in Riki’s expression.
‘Hmph. To think there wouldn’t even be a reaction.’
That meant whether Georg had told him directly, or someone else had mentioned it—or if not even that, then he had already considered the possibility himself.
It meant he had already taken into account the situation where Count Georg was under investigation for being involved with the Demon Race, and the resulting possibility of being cast out by the Marquis of Whisper.
Count Georg let out a deep sigh and replied.
“No, forget it. It’ll make things easier if you already know.”
“What is it you want to say?”
“I want you to listen to my story.”
I nodded and replied.
“Spew it out.”
The gentle expression Count Georg had been wearing until now changed.
“I am innocent.”
A pungent stench spread in all directions along with those words.
At the same time, the stench began to pour in from all sides, converging on the Special Task Force members and me.
Count Georg prattled on.
“I have no connection to the Demon Race, and I shall fight only for Humanity.”
Strength drained from my body, and I began to be weighed down by something. How should I describe this intangible energy that was starting to crush me?
‘It doesn’t matter.’
The important thing was simply that Count Georg was innocent.
……Oh.
‘I let my guard down for a second, and it feels like my brain is being…… remodeled.’
As expected, humans are creatures of Experience and adaptation. It’s because there are things you can only deal with if you know about them.
‘I didn’t think I’d have to feel this shitty sensation again.’
Regardless, the important thing was how to break through the current situation.
Count Georg asked.
“I ask you, Special Task Force Captain. Do I have any connection to the Demon Race?”
I did not open my mouth. It was to suppress the ‘Innocence of Count Georg’ that I felt subconsciously in my mind, and to keep the words of denial from immediately bursting out of my mouth.
Instead, I diverted the conversation in a different direction.
“You’ve prepared quite a lot, Count Georg.”
The vicious expression from a moment ago was nowhere to be found, and Count Georg replied with a gentle look.
“Haha, shouldn’t that be expected? With my feet held to the fire, it wouldn’t be enough even if I begged on my hands and knees.”
“I see.”
I nodded as if I understood.
“However, Count Georg. Even if you yourself have no sin, I cannot say that the others are innocent.”
“Hmm? What does that…….”
Ignoring Count Georg’s words, I immediately summoned the Holy Sword and raised the blade.
“It’s dangerous!”
Riki immediately blocked the front of Count Georg while shrouded in Sword Qi, and I curled the corners of my mouth and swung the Holy Sword in a wide arc.
An unbroken flow slashes the demon.
Flowing Demon Slash.
The strike of the Holy Sword, which drew a circle around the blade, expanded in all directions. Murfin and Sthrall stepped forward to block the strikes heading toward the Special Task Force members, while Riki’s Sword Aura protected Count Georg.
In the aftermath of the sweep, Riki spoke.
“A sudden surprise attack, how distressing. Is this the Special Task Force Captain’s answer?”
I pointed the Holy Sword to the side toward Riki, who was still talking nonsense.
“Look around you, Riki.”
“Don’t look. It’s a trick!”
Count Georg shouted in panic.
I asked while maintaining the courtesy of a Noble.
“Count Georg. Right now, as the Special Task Force Captain, I am speaking with a Sword Master. Did you still have business so important that you would interrupt our conversation?”
“What kind of nonsen—”
“The reason you sought me out was to prove your innocence. Yet you still have other business remaining even after that business is finished? And to only bring it up now is truly nothing short of rude. Surely you didn’t think my rank was lower than yours just because I am the Special Task Force Captain?”
I spoke with eyes that had turned cold as ice toward the frozen Count Georg.
“No, fine. It’s actually better this way. Since it’s come to this, Count Georg, I’ll ask you properly this time.”
Sssshhh.
The stench poured into my nose along with a ringing sound in my ears. Before I knew it, the Mercenary Band Wolfhound, who had been surrounding us, began to reveal themselves and show their hostility toward me.
“Kill him!”
Ignoring the Demon Race members charging from all directions, I locked eyes with Count Georg.
“How do you plan to explain to me that your Personal Troops have turned into the Demon Race?”
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