“You’ve been like that since you were little. If I make a mistake… or do something my mother would hate… or be laughed at. For your amusing amusement, I told your mother and spread the word to the attendants.”
Why are you like that? You did as you wished. But why?
I’m messed up because of you For the rest of my life, I was so ashamed that I couldn’t even lift my head.
“Every time you talk like that… haha… my mother called me to my room and whipped me. Father was not at home… and the servants did not prevent her mother’s education.”
He laughed at the title of count when his only grandson was like that!
“My mother’s cane didn’t hurt that much, but… um… have you ever been beaten? I’ve seen the cyan match a few times… but probably not. Since you were young, you knew very well how not to be beaten. Haha… I also found out about it a while ago. If I don’t want to be beaten, I have to change myself. If you change like that, you can make your mother laugh.”
“…brother.”
Kirik.
I gave strength to my fingers. A fine incontinence began to spread on Zabel’s blade.
“…What my brother is saying right now sounds very strange.”
“Is it strange?”
Iod laughed and shook his head.
“I am not weird.”
Ciel felt an inexplicable thrill. Magic… not. So what is it? this feeling.
‘I’m going to.’
I can’t believe it.
‘They’re trying to attack me.’
Oppa Iod is trying to do something stupid.
“…brother. stop.”
Ciel said in a trembling voice.
“You expected me to do this.”
Iod said with a smile on his face.
“And that, Ciel.”
The darkness roared.
“I have decided not to listen to anyone else.”
hunt
Day two.
Gargis opened his closed eyes. Dew that had accumulated since dawn had formed on the surface of the armor, and the color was an ominous black.
poison is mixed
Gargis brushed off the dew with a calm face. There was a little bit left on his fingertips, so I put it on my philtrum and sniffed it. It was light, but it smelled like rotten eggs.
There was no hesitation in the act of opening his mouth wide and thrusting his fingers in. Even if you fill a beer glass full of this kind of poison, it won’t harm this trained body.
“…but it’s poison. The body is not happy…”
The tongue, uvula, and esophagus where the poison touched are sore. Although he did not neglect to train his body, there was a way to train the inside of his muscles. If you look for it, there won’t be a lot of ways, but Gargis still didn’t know the secret to training ‘inside’.
“I didn’t even have to wake you up.”
Desiira, who was sitting on a branch, opened her mouth.
“Nothing happened. The monster approached, but it wasn’t enough to wake you up or leave.”
“hmm.”
Gargis nodded, then sat down and stood up again. Instead of questioning the reason for his actions, Desiira rummaged through his pockets and chewed on some of his jerky.
‘…he’s a weird guy when he was young and now… but he’s still trustworthy, so he’s lucky.’
wide forest. Only 9 people. The road is divided by dizziness, and if you go forward like that, you can hardly meet other people.
So you are lucky.
Yesterday, when the sun went down and the forest sank into black darkness. I met Gargis while contemplating whether to move until the light of day or choose a safe place to camp.
Many things become more comfortable just by being alone. You can take turns falling asleep to relieve fatigue, and as your eyes and ears increase, it becomes easier to explore.
‘…The evaluation will be harsher than when I was alone.’
I was determined to that extent. I didn’t think from the beginning that I would post the most criminal record beating the monster or Hector of the main family. Just in moderation, enough to remember the name ‘Dijira Lionheart’ in the heads of adults in Black Lion Castle.
‘…I want to become a black lion too…’
I want to be in the 3rd division. A woman born in Lionheart, no, a female warrior with ambitions for martial arts, can’t help but feel envy for ‘Carmen Lionheart’. Lionheart’s heroine. Iron Blooded Black Lion…
‘…Why is Carmen absent…’
I heard that he was leaving on an escort mission for his family. However, if he shows results in this forest, he will naturally be able to join the Black Lion Knights.
“…are you done?”
“Three sets ahead.”
“Isn’t it too much in the morning? You didn’t even eat.”
“Supplementation comes after training is over.”
Gargis was squatting with a greatsword on his back.
“…Want some?”
“no. This is enough.”
In a large canteen, something unknown and thick like porridge fills the glass. Gargis drank the muscle growth drug of the family’s secret at once, with gratitude for his body and a wish for growth. Vitality spreading throughout the body, a feeling of fullness rising heavily…
“let’s go.”
Gargis wiped the sweat from his forehead with a fresh face.
Desiira dreams of becoming a Knight of the Black Lion, but Gargis doesn’t. If you become a member of the Black Lion Knights, you will eventually distance yourself from the family you were born into.
The only exceptions to this problem are the Genos family, where all the families join the Black Lions as if it were hereditary, and the Senate family.
Gargis respected his father and loved his family and the territory he ruled. Rather than becoming the Black Lion and serving Lionheart, he wanted to inherit his father’s title and rule his land peacefully.
but. So, it wasn’t that I didn’t have a desire to prove my skills. I wanted to see how much this body, trained and sweated every day, would shine in this hunt.
‘…ignorant but…’
A sword as big as mine.
‘It’s not just about wielding power. It’s quite sophisticated.’
It twists its trajectory in various ways so as not to get caught in the surrounding trees. The reason he can swing and strike like that is thanks to his ignorantly trained body. It’s not just relying on the greatsword. They slam them down with their feet, punch them with their fists, and shove them with their shoulders. Gargis’ size alone was a weapon capable of crushing monsters.
Desiira was in charge of the background. She has been training her spear ever since she was a child. Monsters pop out from anywhere. Some come out of the shadows, others come out of trees, rocks, or the ground.
——————
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Monsters that manipulate mana are rare. But it’s not like that for monsters. They freely handle the magic that fills their bodies, and unleash power similar to magic or sword steel.
not threatening
Xian thought so. Training at the Black Lion Castle for several months. He has never fought a monster. All of Xi’an’s training was one-on-one sparring with captains and knights.
That was enough. Even if the opponent is a human, not a monster, the important thing in the end is “fighting”. The more you get used to fighting, the more you can do. How to move in each situation melts into your body. As it builds up, you can choose an option that is not the worst, even if you have never been through it.
After entering the forest, nothing that came close to the worst had ever happened to Xian. Geddon’s shield had never been worn. If there were only monsters of this level, he was confident that he could easily break through with just one sword.
‘…Hector must have gone deeper, right?’
I brushed off the blood on my sword.
‘Eugene. He must have gone deep, too.’
Xian’s wind was the same. I want to go deep into the forest. I want to prove how brave and outstanding Lionheart’s next head of household is.
“…This is unexpected.”
Xian murmured, hiding his surprise.
“I can’t believe… you guys are deeper than me.”
Gargis and Desiira.
‘…They’re the ones with the best skills among the collateral, but…’
No matter how much! Xian widened his shrugged shoulders. conditions were not the same. After all, Xian was alone, and there were two of them over there. No matter how much you move by reducing your sleep at night, if you are wary of the monsters you will encounter in the dark, your movement will inevitably slow down.
On the other hand, since those guys are two, they are wary of places they can’t see each other… When they’re tired, they lean on each other, and it would have been much more comfortable since they were two anyway. Xian made up his mind to think so.
“…hmm. But seeing you go back, you must have suffered a lot in there, right?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
With a frown on his face, Desira answered. The blood-related ceremony at the age of 11 and the chase with Xian still linger in Desiira’s mind. Thanks to this, Desiira had a subtle fear of Xian, but she deliberately raised her voice and raised her eyes so as not to show him.
“Are you going back? We keep moving forward. I have no intention of going back.”
“…what bullshit? And what’s wrong with your expression? Are you cheating on me now?”
“…you miss the beard. I’m saying this now, but you look better without a beard.”
“…Hmm, that’s all you need to know.”
Xian nodded and put his hand in his arms.
“Anyway… fools are stupid for a reason. You guys, didn’t you even prepare the basics for finding your way while entering this vast forest?”
It’s because I came in with a clumsy mindset. Xian clicked her tongue and pulled out the compass she had kept in her arms.
“Look, look. It looks like a compass, but it’s no ordinary compass. This spit, refined with magic, points to a place where the concentration of magic is deep. Do you see what I mean? If you check this needle and compass, you can head to the center from anywhere in the forest.”
A special compass used by the Black Lions. Xian insisted on getting this compass from his uncle, Gion, who was the commander of the 5th Division.
“…if it’s a compass, we have one.”
Desiira pursed his lips and pulled out his compass.
“It doesn’t point to demons like Master’s, but our compass is pretty good too. The backbone of this forest is the west, right? We’ve been heading west since yesterday…”
“It’s broken.”
Xian shook his head, not listening to what Didyra said to the end.
“Look. Is your compass pointing west now? That’s the direction I came from. But the west on my compass is the direction you came from.”
“…It could be that your compass is broken.”
“under! This is why the idiot… did you listen to what I said through your nostrils? Does this compass point to a place where demonic energy is thick?”
“…but I… headed west as soon as I entered…”
“The dizziness must have led you in the wrong direction from the beginning! After wandering around like that, he bumps into me… Wow, there are limits to stupidity.”
Recently, there have been rare situations where I felt superior. Xian did not want to miss this opportunity.
“It would be very stupid to rely only on my senses in the forest. Even if you think you’re walking in a straight line, in fact, you might be walking in the wrong direction with a slight twist to the side. Isn’t it much more than just walking in this forest?”
“…yes…”
“You must have met monsters along the way, you must have stopped for a while, and you must have slept, right? When you stop and start moving again, isn’t it too arrogant to be sure that you are going ‘straight’?”
“…Ugh…”
“If you hadn’t met me here, you would have wandered around the wrong place all four days with that pig! Desiira Lionheart, did you come all the way here just to do that?”
“Ooh… ooh…”
Just as Desiira had little fear of Xian due to his memories of the Blood Ceremony, so did Xian. I still occasionally have nightmares about her figure in Didyra, her face drenched in her blood and popping out.
So, Xian pushed Desiira. It was to overcome the fear of childhood that remained in my heart. Not saying much to Gargis was his loyalty to the hair growth pill he received the other day.
“If you wish.”
Xian cleared his throat and straightened his back. Somewhere in the forest, the captains are watching. The charisma that governs the lower ones was shown with the rebuke just now… Now it’s time to show the leadership that embraces and leads.
“Follow me. I don’t mean to fight together, but I will lead you to the ‘battlefield’ where you can prove your skills.”
Xian gave strength to his voice and made the coolest expression in his opinion. I thought that the lines he spoke were good enough.
“I will follow you, Bocchan.”
Desiira had a shaky expression, but Gargis felt a heavy pounding in his chest and pounded his chest with his fist.
“…wasn’t the youngster with Lady Ciel?”
“Do you think twins will always stick together?”
Xian walked forward with a snort.
“Ciel is a guy who can do well alone. He’s far superior to you, and he knows this forest better than I do. You’re probably closer to the demon’s cave than anyone else right now?”
*
Ciel bit his lip to keep his dizzy mind. She chewed hard enough to bleed, and the pain in the corner of her mouth was sharp. She could feel the taste of blood spreading in her mouth.
But there is no sensation on the body side. I try to move my finger, and it seems to be moving… but… there is no such sensation.
‘… my head… is heavy. Drowsiness… Fatigue? Are you… sleepy? In this situation? It’s not poison…’
“…Where are you going?”
Ciel forced his mouth open. Then Iod, who was walking ahead of her, turned her head and looked behind her.
“amazing.”
“…what?”
“The medicine I wrote to you is purified from the fruit of Gasamal and the root of Pahur.”
“…It’s a drug.”
Ciel twisted his blood-soaked mouth.
“I heard that you can’t give others a dog’s habits… Now you don’t buy medicine… You’re taking pills yourself, but see?”
“I don’t write.”
Iod replied with a smile.
“Three years… uh… I’ve used it a few times as an experiment, but never enjoyed it.”
“…Did you like it?”
“Yeah, I liked it. That was three years ago. But when I started making them with my own hands… I didn’t like them any more. I know that? Ciel. Dreams that you dream while intoxicated are very pleasant. They make everything I want to see and do come true.”
Iod waved his hand as he said that.
“But when you wake up, it’s very futile. That’s what a dream is. Even if I want to dream it again, I can’t continue to dream it again… When I wake up, it fades in my head. After all, dreams are not reality… so I didn’t do it. It was impossible to bring a succubus to the mansion… I realized that I just had to treat reality like a dream.”
“…”
“Anyway, Ciel, you are great. With that kind of medicine, you should lose your mind or hallucinate… You are resisting to shake off the medicine while maintaining your consciousness, right?”
“…Unlike my brother, I trained hard.”
Once more. Ciel bit his lip.
“My brother seems to remember me with just the way I looked when I was young… but. I’m getting older too. that a lot has changed Just like Siyeon oppa is like. So, you worked hard.”
“so do i.”
Iod smiled and nodded.
“I also changed, and I worked hard. Your change is remarkable… haha… Ciel. Please, don’t be angry with me for saying ‘admirable’ to you.”
“…”
“I mean I’d rather you get drunk and see the hallucinations you want to see.”
“…don’t you enjoy talking to me?”
“It’s fun. Because I haven’t had many conversations like this with you. However, rather than having a conversation for my own pleasure… I want to do it for you, my sister.”
“…then… stop it now. What are you trying to do? no. What have you done to me?”
Core mana does not move.
“The medicine you gave me doesn’t have the effect of scattering mana. Magic…? is it black magic? How did you hide it?”
can not understand. If Iod had become a black magician, there was no way the black lions would not have noticed him. …No, that’s not the only thing I don’t understand.
Demons killed by Iod. There’s no way the captains watching that unique corpse overlooked it. It’s been quite a while since Iod was overpowered and dragged around… but no one is interfering.
‘…Are you out of surveillance? how?’
You must have been watched as much as there is a precedent?
“It’s not black magic.”
Iod shrugged and laughed.
“…isn’t this… black magic?”
Ciel couldn’t believe it. He twists his body to free himself once again, still numb down his neck… Ciel gulps his blood and looks down at him.
The body below the neck is swallowed in black darkness. Am I walking on my own two feet? Or is it flying in the sky… Or is it that everything has disappeared except for the head?
Ciel didn’t want to be conscious of the chilling fear.
“Are you afraid?”
Iod did not look back. He walks through the darkness without a torch or magic light. …a lot of time has passed. The night and dawn would have passed and the sun would rise. However, no light is emitted around the iodine.
Where is this place in the first place? is it the forest? My mind is clouded. I can’t trust my senses After some time, I didn’t even smell the forest… The surroundings… it was so dark, I couldn’t see anything.
“I have no intention of enjoying watching you tremble with fear. There is a reason why I gave the medicine first. Make you feel at ease…”
“…what are you going to do while I’m high on drugs?”
Ciel sighed, hiding the trembling in his voice.
“I mean. I know oppa is a piece of trash that I can’t deal with, but… but still, I think he’s human. No matter how twisted a person my brother is, I am his brother.”
“…Ah… that misunderstanding… is embarrassing and unpleasant.”
Iod shook his head and murmured.
“Ciel. I will tell you not to misunderstand, but I have no intention of soiling your body.”
“…”
“never. There’s no point in dirtying it. You’re not a wizard, but you still know about ‘sacrifice’, right? This… um… it’s not just black magic. It’s taboo now, but it was natural for ancient magic and sorcery to use ‘sacrifices’ to strengthen the magic.”
“…what do you want to say?”
“Among the sacrifices, it is special to sacrifice ‘their own people’. The strange thing is, the rank of the sacrifice increases depending on how close the sacrifice is to you.”
Iod paused for a moment and burst into laughter.
“Ciel. You are my half brother and sister. have the same father That alone makes the sacrifice high. From now on, it’s not ‘relationship’, but the value you have will be determined again. Silver hair and golden eyes are rare among humans. Besides, Ciel, you are honestly beautiful. A young and lively body that has just been taken out of a girl. Skill and mana overwhelmingly superior to peers of the same age. A purity that has never been defiled.”
“…disgusting.”
“My personal assessment is… um… it’s just that you’re beautiful. Is everything else true? They have those values, and they even come from the same bloodline as me. Ciel. You are the best sacrifice I can ask for.”
“…”
“But you alone are not enough. Xi’an… I couldn’t meet you first, but I’ll be back soon. I know that? Just as a virgin is highly valued as a sacrifice, so a virgin is highly valued as a sacrifice. Other than that, newborn fetuses, premature babies, pregnant women… I… don’t really like them.”
“…it’s crazy.”
Ciel shuddered and sighed.
“I’m not crazy. So, you’re saying you’re going to sacrifice me and Xian? For what?”
“The more sacrifices, the better. Of course, there are limits to the sacrifices I can handle with my current skills, and it’s impossible to handle the black lions. So, as soon as possible…”
“Crazy! How are you going to handle it? Brother, brother will die here. It’s not just my brother…! Theonis-sama who was with her brother, and Count Bossar…!”
“They are fine.”
Iod’s steps stopped.
“They are cheering me on. Whatever I do, you won’t resent me.”
“Stop talking nonsense…!”
“You no longer hide your feelings. yeah, that’s the only way to do it You’ve been afraid since before… You’ve been good at hiding your feelings since you were little, but you never hid your fear.”
Iod’s finger pointed at Ciel.
“So, be comfortable. Close your eyes, don’t resist. That will do.”
Blurred eyes. The mind sinks heavily. hate. I don’t want to fall asleep. If I fall asleep like this, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to open my eyes again. …brother is? what about brother You said you would come here… Even your brother? Mother, Father, Carmen.
‘…Eugene.’
How are you? Are you going to come here like your brother?
‘…Help me.’
*
“…that’s strange.”
Yujin narrowed her eyes and stopped walking.
Before entering the forest of monsters, Genos gave me a compass. …never took it out. Eugene could clearly feel the uneasy spirit in this forest, and he could tell which direction to go without relying on tools.
But now, I couldn’t fully trust my senses. Yesterday, when I first entered the forest. The backbone of the forest that I felt then. But now? Yujin took out her compass, conscious of the confusion of her senses.
“…is it different?”
The compass points in a completely different direction.
“Did I get lost in the forest without my knowledge?”
Take out another compass. This is an ordinary compass. Holding the two compasses in both hands, Eugene kicked off the ground and ran forward.
‘It’s not like both were broken at the same time.’
It only went in a straight line, but the compass points to different places.
‘Is it the forest that was ruined?’
I took out Akasha from the cloak and held it. I looked around like that, but I couldn’t see the magic that was changing the forest.
‘Influence of Magi? Things like that happen, too.’
If it was Helmud, it wouldn’t be surprising.
But this is not Helmud. In the first place, if it was a forest that was being destroyed like this, you would have to find your way with something other than a compass.
‘…Genos is…’
The presence that I felt faintly was no longer felt.
“…hmm.”
Eugene put the compass he was holding in both hands into the cloak.
“…Ugh…”
Merga, who had been drooping, pulled her head forward.
“…What happen? Eugene…”
“You keep taking your face off.”
“…yes?”
“I will find a way.”
Took. Eugene patted Mer on the head.
“From now on, you are the direction sign.”
“Yeah…?”
“I’m sure I’ll find what I feel, but don’t you feel the same as me? Let me guide you to a terrible place.”
“I might throw up…”
“You don’t know how to do that. Without camouflage, what…”
“…you can do anything. I will vomit into the cloak…”
“I’m scolded.”
Kong.
Eugene grabbed Mer’s head and walked forward.
hunt
something has changed The sense of alienation toward him gradually invaded his senses as he moved forward.
But I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. I checked with Akasha several times, but it wasn’t magic. Magi’s influence? If it’s that kind of thing, there’s no way Eugene wouldn’t have noticed it.
“…Eugene-nim.”
Mer, who was looking forward with a face as if she had chewed up sand, opened her mouth.
“Isn’t it really magic?”
“uh.”
Eugene replied while glancing at the Akasha in his hand. Understanding magic, the power of Akasha. It allows you to see through hidden magic. This forest is not affected by any magic.
“…But it’s strange.”
Mer looked around with thinly opened eyes.
“It feels like I am being led.”
“I?”
“It’s not just Eugene-nim, but Mana and Magi… the ‘power’ that stayed in the forest.”
Eugene glanced at the compass still in his hand. A compass that indicates where Magi are most congregated. Now, what this points to is not the backbone of the forest. If you rely only on this compass, you will end up in a completely different place than you thought.
What if you don’t have a compass? They have to find their way in other ways, but warriors often overconfident in their well-trained body and senses. In normal cases, that method isn’t even an erroneous answer. After a few failures, your keen senses will help you find the right path even in a wooded forest.
But in artificially ‘entangled’ forests like now, even the senses are guided. It’s so stealthy that you don’t notice, but all of this felt like a blatant trap to Eugene, who grasped the situation.
‘…The problem is that I’m not the only one capturing it.’
Although not magical, this ‘trick’ captures a wide range.
‘Everyone who entered the forest… Did you exclude the Black Lion Knights who are in the middle? Who are the captains who are protectors? You wouldn’t even be able to fight with your strength, right?’
The unknown creates imagination. Just beyond Mount Uklas is the border of Kiel, and beyond that lies the Great Forest of Samar. When outlaws there try to smuggle Kjellow, the common route is to cross Mount Uklas.
One of the main missions of the Black Lion Knights is to punish outlaws who smuggle into the country.
‘…No… No matter how… There’s no way those guys would fight the Black Lion Knights. The only possibility is…’
Dark Elf.
‘There are Iris Dark Elves in Samar.’
Princess Raksha will want to take over the personal affairs of the elves of the main family.
‘…do you really want to take a hostage and exchange it? Iris: That bitch is crazy, but has she gone this crazy after 300 years?’
I guess, but I still don’t know the answer. Yujin focused her consciousness and opened her mouth.
“Tempest.”
A powerful call reached the spirit realm. The wind swayed around him, causing Eugene’s hair to float.
[What’s going on?]
“I’m just going to explore the surrounding area. Genos Lionheart, you know the face, right?”
[…Hamel, you’re the only one who’s sending the wind spirit king on such trivial errands…]
Tempest’s voice stopped abruptly.
“Kyaa.”
Mer struggled inside the cloak. She twisted her body around, frowning, pulling Winid out of the depths of her cloak.
Winid, who was held in Mer’s hands, trembled with a hum. Eugene tilted his head at the hand of We Need.
“what? what’s the matter?”
[Mmm…!]
Just as Winid trembled, Tempest trembled as well. It’s been quite some time since Eugene had Winid in his hand, but it was rare for Tempest to show this much agitation.
ㅡWoe! The wind gathers in one place. Tempest, incarnated as his body, looked around and reached out and groped for it here and there. Every time that happened, the wind that flowed vigorously shook the branches.
Eugene didn’t understand what the Tempest was doing, but he could understand that it wasn’t for good. So he said no more and waited for Tempest to open his mouth.
[…I can’t believe it.]
“What.”
[Wind spirits, earth spirits… No, all spirits in this forest are asleep.]
“…why?”
[It is dark.]
Tempest’s voice was still trembling.
[Most beings fall asleep in darkness without light, and are afraid of imagining what lurks in the darkness that they cannot see. …Hamel. Since ancient times, the darkness has been thought to be disturbed and ominous roaming around.]
“…so?”
[…Even in such darkness, spirits dwell. That’s what the Dark Spirit is. It’s harder to contract than any other spirit. Dark spirits are indifferent to humans. Moreover, the spirit of darkness drives humans crazy…]
“…”
[…The darkness of this forest is the spirit’s darkness. It eroded an area of this size and forced other spirits to fall asleep. Dark spirits are ominous and strong, but what is so powerful is…]
“The Spirit King?”
[…No, that’s not it. The Dark Spirit King does not exist. It was probably the high spirits of darkness that eroded this place. Hamel, I know your skills, but I am not someone to belittle.]
Tempest muttered that and scattered his body.
[…Genos Lionheart. He is probably wandering in the dark. It’s hard to put such a talented person to sleep, but making them wander around is as easy as a joke for the dark spirit.]
“Find the Elementalist.”
Eugene lowered his knees and sighed. Thanks to the lightning spark melted into mana, he could feel the spirit of the world tree, but it was impossible to feel the presence of other spirits.
Therefore, it is left to Tempest to pursue the spirit of darkness.
Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Mer stopped crying and held on tightly to the hem of her cloak. Eugene sensed a place where demonic energy was thick, kicked off the ground, and ran forward.
*
“…young master?”
Desiira, who had been silent all along, looked around with an uneasy expression on his face.
“…Are we going the right way?”
At some point, the surroundings ceased to feel like a ‘forest’. It must be the time when the sun is up, but even if you look up at the sky, you can’t see the sun.
deep in the forest? Because the leaves are thick? How can it be so dark?
“The monster has become stronger.”
Xian spat out while wiping the blood that had splattered on his armor.
“No matter how stupid you are, can you feel that? just like that When a group of fangs attacked, you couldn’t even stab them properly and backtracked!”
“that…”
“What is it? Why did you participate in this hunt when you only have skills like that? If you’re weak, if you’re weak, do you put in more effort? Not even helpful…”
Something is strange.
It’s not a matter of getting angry like this, but my emotions are strangely excited. Even though I feel strange, I can’t stand my annoyance. Is there any reason to be patient in the first place? You say you don’t like something you don’t like, so why should you put up with it? I’m the next head of the Lionheart family, right?
Why do I have to carry such a useless thing around here? Why do I, the future head of the household, have to lead the way by swinging my sword? Why should I fix the mistakes of that weakling idiot?
‘…because it’s the future head of the family.’
A vague determination stopped a series of accidents. Sian took a deep breath and shook his head. This black forest makes people strange. Maybe it’s because it’s in too deep. The thickened demonic energy affects it in one way or another…
“I… I am not weak. That doesn’t help…! I worked hard. When the young master didn’t pay attention to his back, I stopped him. I said I killed your enemy with a spear!”
Desiira cried out in tears. Xian wasn’t the only one feeling the emotional surge.
“And it is really strange. Weird, strange! If you’re not feeling anything strange, that means you’re a stupid idiot. Look around, you can’t see anything. It’s a forest, but I can’t see the trees, I can’t hear the insects, and the ground is strange!”
Desiira exclaimed and tossed off her shoes. He then thumped, thumped and stamped his foot on the ground.
“The forest is dirt! It’s dirt, but there’s no dirt on your feet! No stone, no stone. Aren’t we going down to something? What is this?”
“Keep your senses, it’s not uncommon to go crazy when you’re not accustomed to Magi…! you, you! Did you know that you would come to this forest, but came without even learning the basics…!”
“The boy took me to a strange place!”
tolerate irritation I tried to be patient. But when I hear Desiira shout like that, my stomach boils. And besides, it seems like you just talked nonsense? Xian is two years older than Desiira.
“Damn it…”
“stop.”
Gargis, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth. That heavy bass mercilessly cut off the harsh words Xian was about to utter.
“As the young master said, it seems that everyone is going through delirium caused by Magi. The reason we speak against each other now is because our minds are weak.”
Gargis said and took Didyera in one arm. Suddenly, Desiira was lifted up in the air, screaming and floundering on her feet.
“Let go, let go!”
“Put on your shoes.”
Dezyra’s hand slapped Gargis on the cheek, but Gargis’ face didn’t turn sideways at all. Gargis kindly led Didyera to the front of her shoe, which she had thrown off.
“…are you… okay?”
Xian asked with a puzzled face. Unlike Xian and Dejairawan, whose emotions fluctuated in delirium, Gargis’ face was as solemn as usual.
“A healthy mind resides in a healthy body.”
Gargis responded with a show of strength in his forearms.
“If you build a healthy body like me, you will be able to have a composure that will not make you feel anxious in any situation.”
“Mmm…”
Sian swallowed and nodded.
Thanks to Gargis’ intervention along the way, Xian and Desiira no longer spoke against each other. But things weren’t so good, and I didn’t know what would happen if I kept going.
“The monster is fine. I can handle it.”
Sian shook his head vigorously and said.
“Seeing that the influence has grown this much, the backbone must not be far off. The Black Lion Knights have been hunting there since yesterday… so there won’t be as many monsters as you thought.”
It wasn’t a wild guess. In fact, as the darkness around them deepened, the frequency of encounters with monsters decreased.
“…If, by any chance, a dangerous situation arises, it will not be caused by monsters, but because of our insanity. For example… Desiira. Like you did during the Blood Ceremony, aiming for my back. With the spear you held.”
“…Are you serious?”
“It could be.”
Xian took a deep breath.
“Of course I will trust you. Anyway, since we came all the way here. Don’t worry about becoming dangerous to monsters. I am stronger than you, and I can protect you. So you just have to do well.”
“…I guess I just have to do well.”
Desiira lowered his gaze and murmured. Gargis stared blankly at them and slapped Didyera on the back.
“evil!”
“Stand up your back and open your chest. That unstable and bad posture makes the mind tired.”
“Ugh…”
“And you have to believe in yourself. That’s what confidence is.”
Saying that, Gargis strode forward. I opened the road first, and Xian followed me without saying a word.
“Don’t stand in front of me when you are weaker than me.”
“Yes, Bocchan.”
Gargis responded politely to Xian.
It took such a long time to walk. The surroundings were so dark that it couldn’t be more than this, and it was impossible to tell whether the ground they were stepping on was soil or ground. Like Didyera’s scream, it seemed to go down somehow.
It is only felt. There are definitely trees around. Something shimmered before my eyes, and when I touched it, it was a tree. …On the contrary, it made Xian’s party nervous. It’s a forest, but it feels like it’s not a forest. Even though it’s right in front of you, you can’t tell if you don’t touch it…
“…would you like to rest for a while?”
Sian let out while feeling a slight dizziness. Gargis also nodded his head at that.
The desire to rest was like a chimney, but Desiira was not comfortable expressing it. So I deliberately kept my mouth shut and looked around as if exploring.
“…uh…”
Desiira’s lips parted slightly.
“…now… that. It’s not just me, is it?”
“Are you trying to make fun of me?”
“No… no. Look at me, look at that, look at that.”
Desiira stretched out her finger with a white face. Xian clenched her fists as she felt her insides boil. Apparently, that stupid girl mistakenly thinks that the next daughter of the family is still afraid of ghosts.
‘That’s right…’
Report the direction pointed.
Xian’s expression hardened. The eyes of Gargis, who looked back together, also widened. Gargis quickly reached out and tried to grab Xian, but Xian ran faster than that.
“young master!”
Gargis yells.
Xian’s ears did not hear such a shout. Instead, only the sound of my heart beating fast as if it was about to explode was clearly audible. Explosive white flames wrapped around Xian’s body and scattered his mane.
‘Ciel.’
one and only brother Sian’s golden eyes were bloodshot. That little brother is hanging in the middle of the black darkness. His body is not visible, only his head sticking out, eyes closed against a bloodless pale face.
The sight gave Xian a terrible imagination. Monsters that eat humans are not uncommon. No, all monsters eat humans. Some of the dogs are hideous enough to mark their territories by hanging human corpses they have eaten.
Was it eaten with only the head left?
I didn’t want to think about it. Sian shouted and jumped towards Ciel.
ㅡQuaang!
Sanity was not lost. Rather, at this moment, Xi’an’s rationality was colder than ever. So, it was possible to respond in an unexpected surprise attack.
‘what?’
Xian twisted his body in the air and looked at the sword he was swinging. Something like black slime stuck to the blade. The attack didn’t end with that one. The darkness in the front seemed to wriggle, then it was shot towards Xian.
should not be cut Xian immediately judged and raised his left arm. ㅡClap! The pauldron that wrapped around his left forearm cracked and became a shield.
Geddon’s Shield. This shield sends all attacks hit into empty space. It’s a shield with fraudulent performance, but it’s not all-round. It is impossible to completely block an attack that cannot be dealt with with the mana possessed.
ㅡuuuuu!
space is distorted Although mana drained considerably, it succeeded in sending her unknown attack into the empty space. Her cyan fell to the ground and corrected her posture.
‘It’s alive.’
Xian glanced at Ciel. Although her face is not bloody, she is breathing faintly. …and that’s it. Xian held his temper again and glared in front of her.
“…Who are you? monster? Or… are you a human?”
“it’s me.”
Xian’s face twisted at the answer that came back.
“…Brother Iod?”
“huh.”
I hear the voice, but I don’t see the figure. I don’t know what the hell is going on. Why was Ciel hanging like that and Iod attacked?
…you don’t know? I just don’t want to believe it. Sian felt a huge rage that she couldn’t believe was her own emotion. As if sympathizing with that anger, the flames that wrapped around Xian increased its size.
“You, the son of Lionheart, have gone really crazy! How much my father defended you…!”
“Twins are twins. How could he say the same thing as Ciel…”
Iod did not appear. He crouched down in the dark and chuckled.
“Iod…! If you feel proud of your sins, don’t hide and come out! You f*cking son of a bitch!”
“I don’t have to go out.”
Chick-geek… Chick-geek. Iod murmured as he carved a pattern on the floor with red blood.
“I don’t like fighting.”
“f*ck the bullshit…”
cooong.
A sound from behind. Xian flinched and looked back.
The first thing I saw was Dejaira, who had fallen to the floor without strength.
beside him. Gargis’s colossus was collapsing.
“…what a crazy…”
Xian squeezed the hilt and spat out.
Can you save Ciel and escape? So should Gargis and Desiira be abandoned? No, is it possible to save someone in the current situation in the first place? The urgent thing right now is not someone else, but myself. So, to run away alone…
It was not a situation to think about for a long time. Xian forcibly cut off her thoughts and ran forward. Ciel, Gargis, and Desiira. It was impossible no matter how much I thought about escaping with the three of them at once.
The next head of household abandoned his younger brother and Gasol and ran away? something impossible. So this rush was not to escape.
“Hector!”
Xian shouted and swung his sword.
Hector Lionheart.
He smiled bitterly and raised both hands.
“It’s much harder to subdue without killing.”
I have to do it though. Hector’s body stiffened and lowered. Hector digs under the single sword that Xian wielded. The sword’s trajectory was twisted along the way. Hector’s eyes lit up as he chased the sword that landed on his shoulder.
Fain! Hector’s hands gripped the blade.
‘He took a sword test?’
Xian’s eyes widened. Hands gathered together as if clapping hands, the gripped sword was firmly bitten and did not come off. Xian hurriedly put down his sword and stepped back.
Hector did not miss Xi’an. Cyan took two steps back, and Hector took four steps forward. Just like that, Xian’s and Hector’s bodies overlapped. ㅡjjuh! The aura shield that Xian was wearing was shattered.
“Keuk…!”
Xian’s body bent forward. Blah… Blah! A fist stuck in the pit of the stomach shatters the armor. Wow! He slashed Xian’s back with his left elbow once, and Xian’s eyes went back.
“Whew.”
Hector let out a breath he had been holding.
Both hands were sore as he carried Xian, who had fallen forward, on his shoulders. Both of his hands were drenched in blood.
“As expected, the boy from the head family.”
Hector smiled and opened and closed his bloody hands. It’s true that I was ignorant in order to subdue it quickly, but I never thought my hands would get hurt like this. How much blood did you shed? With that thought in mind, Hector approached the darkness.
“Does it still take long?”
“Not for long, but it will take time.”
“Hmm… It would be impossible to control it with your own abilities, right?”
“Haha… If that was possible for me… I wouldn’t need your help.”
“He is too. How about praying earnestly? Then maybe you can tell me a simpler way.”
“Prayer is to God or to the devil.”
“Grunt…”
Hector shook his head and put Xian down.
“Then let’s go.”
“where?”
“Brother Eugene is coming.”
Kikigik… Kikkik.
Iod’s hand, which was carving a pattern, stopped.
“Can you subdue it?”
“It is easy to kill.”
“Repress if possible.”
“Let’s try. It was possible to subdue Master Xian here, but it would be difficult to defeat Master Eugene here. If you don’t, you could get caught up in it too.”
“What can I help you with?”
“Pray… No, do me a favor.”
Hector smiled and turned around.
“So that the other captains don’t get in the way.”
hunt
“Hector?”
Eugene got down to the ground and looked ahead. Hector Lionheart. I could see him wandering in the dark.
“Eugene?”
When we spoke from behind, Hector turned his head away with a surprised look on his face. Eugene read the young bewilderment on his face. Before asking what was going on, he looked at Hector first.
Hector was alone. That was something to be concerned about. Deacon Ryanhart. His face was not visible.
“…why are you alone?”
“It’s my negligence.”
Hector replied in a quick voice.
“I should have caught him… but Deacon got scared by the deepening forest and the rampage of monsters, so he ran away.”
It’s likely. Aren’t you just an 18-year-old kid? It’s probably the first time hunting monsters, and judging from how intimidated he is, he probably doesn’t have much experience in combat. Needless to say, your skills will be lacking.
Dark magic causes mental confusion. The weaker the mind, the faster and more violent the delirium. Fear, being unable to overcome him and running away in fright is a suitable ending for a kid.
“Can you help me?”
Hector asked cautiously. Eugene didn’t answer right away and looked around. It’s dark everywhere. It might be because of the thick magic, but this dense darkness must be the trick of the spirits.
“…That’s about it… It’s not a difficult request.”
“Thank you. Since the forest is inherently wide, there are limits to finding it by myself.”
Hector sighed in relief and approached Eugene.
“This forest, something is strange. While I was living in Luhar, I also went to a place where demonic energy was thick a few times… but there was no place as ominous and dark as this place I’ve been to.”
“Looks like there’s something added.”
“Added? Are you saying someone is playing tricks?”
“I think it might be.”
“haha…! That’s just nonsense. Who the hell will play tricks in the lair of the Black Lion Knights, the elite of Lionhearts?”
“He has a swollen liver.”
Eugene answered and turned around.
“A man with a crazy head.”
“He is too. I wouldn’t even try if I wasn’t sane.”
He nodded and gave a nod. Now, what about… I don’t want to fight head-on. Opponent: Eugene Ryanhart. He is the one who is evaluated as the greatest genius of Lionheart since the great Vermouth.
Hector had heard a lot of geniuses since he was young, but he had never heard such praise. Of course, I had no regrets about it.
I am interested in Eugene. However, that interest does not prevent Hector from doing what he has to do.
‘The ideal is surprise. It didn’t drag on for a long time, and preferably in one blow. They like each other that way. It doesn’t take much strength.’
Subduing even the same ambush is much trickier than killing it. You can’t attack right away. Hector walked a little behind Eugene and glared at Eugene’s back.
‘…her…’
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of surprise. In Hector’s eyes, there really was no gap in Eugene. She is not looking this way, nor is she stopping to stand still. She was just walking in front of her normally… She felt the pressure as if she were holding a sword drawn from the front.
“…if… really someone is playing tricks. Who do you think it will be?”
“Are you trying to guess who has a swollen liver and gone crazy?”
“yes. Are they the demons of Helmud? Or a warlock… hmm, maybe the barbarians of Samar. Maybe the Assassin of Nahama. do you know The situation in Kiel and Nahama is not so good.”
“Hmm, they’re the ones who would do it either way… I guess not.”
“No? Then who do you think you are?”
“You.”
what did you just say? Hector didn’t understand what Eugene said. It was sudden and too short,
The moment you hear your voice.
Hector’s feet exploded. Rather, I was able to react faster to that explosion than the voice. Hector immediately jumped up and raised his aura shield.
Suddenly, Eugene turned and looked up at Hector. that gaze. Hector, who belatedly understood ‘words’, smiled bitterly. Two eyes sunken as cold as ice. The eyes that were confident in my actions without a single doubt, and tried to make me surrender by knocking them down rather than having a conversation and understanding.
“…Good.”
Hector leaned back and laughed. It’s not that I hate conversation. Interesting topics, interesting personalities, conversations with such people are always enjoyable.
If this was a cafe or pub, we would have had a conversation. Probably, I will never have a conversation with Eugene in such a place in my future life. Hector felt a little regret at that fact.
