Episode 139
* * *
“What on earth is that appearance… … !”
The Shadow Lord’s avatar began to exude a spirit that was incomparable to that of just now.
Exuding overwhelming magical power that was beyond imagination… … the demon god was there.
The four circles were engulfed in red magic and were running wild. However, it was by no means a back-to-back drain.
Rather, Dale’s circle was now a ‘state-of-the-art clockwork device’ that operated more precisely than ever before, based on knowledge from another world.
Using red magic power, he strengthens the circle and creates magic power that is beyond imagination based on that power.
And by pouring that magical power onto the Dark Blood’s armor, he was increasing all of its abilities.
The Shadow Lord’s avatar obtained through the power of Shuve, this avatar is not powered by aura. It is powered by magic.
That’s why he was unilaterally pouring out an absurd amount of magical power to strengthen his dark-blooded armor.
As a magician who uses the three colors of black, red, and blue.
The pitch-black monster, Sir Helmut Blackbear, stomped the ground again, and the Shadow Lord swung his sword in response.
Kaang!
The pitch-black magic sword ‘Hunger’ clashed with the great sword ‘Madness’ of this meter. Without even the slightest movement.
‘Not being pushed back in power… …!’
That’s why Sir Helmut couldn’t hide his shock and held his breath.
The sword of the Shadow Lord, facing off against the strongest knight in the North who had devoted his entire life to the sword. It was not the sight of Sir Helmut being unilaterally overwhelmed every time he swung his sword. It was too different.
Equally, it is a sword fight as knight against knight.
“Ha, hahahaha!”
In the midst of the struggle between the two swords, Sir Helmut burst into laughter, as if he was so happy and joyful that he could not hold it in.
“Yes, this is it! If you don’t reach this level, you won’t be able to bear the ‘weight of Saxony’!”
As the Duke of Saxony’s closest sword, the pitch-black berserker roared with rage. At the same time, an aura began to surge through his body again.
“The accomplishments of the Empire’s greatest genius, Prince Dale, make me, Helmut, so happy and joyful that I can’t hold back!”
The energy of struggle, reborn with powers beyond aura, began to envelop Sir Helmut’s avatar.
Fighting spirit.
As with the Holy Swordsmen of old, there is no rule that the avatars of the highest knights must be of one form.
‘Surely not more power than now… …!’
The Shadow Lord fixed his grip on the pitch-black magic sword, and the distance between them narrowed. Nothing changed. Now, Dale was accelerating his body by forming a heat engine with red magic. How far could he go against the ‘strongest knight in the North’ with this power?
Dale, too, smiled with the same fierceness of a berserker that Helmut could not match.
Kaang!
The swords clashed. A sword of overwhelming spirit that could not even be compared to the one just now. It was difficult to even block it, and more than that, an unidentifiable eerieness was woven along the blade.
After the collision, Dale raised his head.
In the midst of the swirling speculation, the second form of Sir Helmut Blackbear’s avatar finally revealed itself.
‘… … !’
The death knight was there.
A Death Knight clad in Saxon black armor, his body reduced to a skeleton without a single piece of flesh remaining.
That very Death Knight was holding the greatsword ‘Madness’ of this meter.
“How are you, Prince Dale?”
Sir Helmut Blackbear’s skull opened its mouth. A strange, almost human-like voice flowed out.
“This is the token of my commitment to the House of Saxony, Helmut Blackbear.”
There was the sword of death, the armor of the idea that he would remain loyal to the House of Saxony even in death.
“Sir Helmut… … .”
And Sir Helmut, who had been reborn as a Death Knight, knelt before Dale. Instead of continuing the fight.
Kuung!
“I will never forget the bravery that Prince Dale showed to Helmut today!”
He plunged his greatsword vertically into the frozen ground of the Demon King’s Territory, just as Dale used his Death Knight as an arm and a leg.
But what stood before him was by no means a mere Death Knight. He was the strongest knight in the North, thinking and acting on his own will, and at the same time swearing lifelong loyalty to the House of Saxony.
“Get up, Sir Helmut.”
Seeing that, Dale also finally released the Shadow Lord’s avatar. The red magic that was accelerating the heart circle subsided.
It was right after that.
“… … Huh!”
Suddenly, Dale’s heart felt like it was burning. He collapsed and fell to his knees. Helmut panicked and ran towards Dale, but Dale soon reached out and stopped him.
“You don’t have to worry.”
“Are you still not used to using your abilities?”
Sir Helmut answered as if he had expected that. He was right on the mark. The reason he did not continue the fight was also because he understood that the power that had just awakened could come back as a ‘double-edged sword’.
“As expected, it’s Sir Helmut.”
Dale smiled, pretending to be calm. The heat engine accelerating the circle of his heart stopped working, and at the same time, the remaining heat burned Dale’s heart.
He quickly generated blue magic to restore thermal balance within his body, and Dale began to calmly assess the risks of his new ability.
“Helmut, I swear that from now on I will gladly bear my sword for your training.”
Before he knew it, the avatar had been released and Sir Helmut, whom Dale knew, was there.
“Thank you, Sir Helmut.”
Dale smiled softly at the sight. As he had said, it was only the beginning. As a wizard who had awakened the avatar of the Shadow Lord and was utilizing the attributes of the three colors.
The brazier in the castle on a dark, white winter night was burning hotter than ever.
* * *
Some time later, the Saxon count’s castle in the labyrinth city.
“The aristocratic faction centered around the S-rank adventurer Edward of Dulles has expanded its influence to the ‘Guild Street.’ In addition, there are reports that his martial prowess has grown abnormally recently.”
“In the past few weeks, there has been a sharp increase in the number of adventurers going missing within the labyrinth. The number of disappearances and deaths within the labyrinth is far higher than the expected rate.”
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The assassin of the ‘Shadow Court’, who watches over adventurers in the darkness, reported to the Count of Saxony.
“Do you have any other guesses?”
“The Shadow Court’s assassins are keeping a close eye on the adventurers entering the labyrinth, but we still haven’t found a clue.”
“… … .”
After hearing that, the Viscount of Saxony, Dale, remained silent.
“Come to think of it, I heard that Lady Scarlet of the Red Tower registered her information with the Adventurer’s Guild a while ago.”
“Yes.”
“Was there anything suspicious about her movements within the labyrinth?”
“That is… … .”
After saying that, the Shadow Court assassin trailed off.
“It is impossible to track its movements because it moves in an elusive manner within the labyrinth, avoiding our surveillance network.”
A single wizard, moving around while avoiding the Empire’s greatest assassins. At least for Lady Scarlett, it wasn’t difficult at all.
“Is that so?”
So, as the ruler of the Demon King’s Territory, there was only one thing Dale had to do.
“Please continue to be vigilant and carry out your mission.”
After saying that, Dale got up.
* * *
It was undeniable that the Red Tower’s red magicians, led by Lady Scarlett, were of assistance in the development of the Demon King’s Territory. The Knights of the Rosicrucian Order, who fulfilled the promise of the Great Demon Alliance from the Lancaster family, were no exception.
But even leaving Lancaster aside, he could never let his guard down against the dark intentions that the Red Tower held within it.
The Tower of Fire and Blood, the worshippers of power who enforce the spirit of the Empire’s times.
Besides, that wasn’t all Dale had to think about. There were also groups of people moving around this labyrinth city, each with their own ambitions.
That’s why it wasn’t the job of the ‘Virgin of Saxony’ to officially resolve the situation. It would be the job of the S-rank adventurer ‘Faceless’, who had previously been active and made a name for herself in the Labyrinth City.
* * *
Aguido, where countless factions and organizations are fighting over who will make a fortune.
Among them, Edward of Dulles and his group of noble adventurers were one of the most powerful organizations in the city.
As a descendant of the Count Dulles family, a household name in the Empire, Edward was a knight whose skills were beyond reproach. The influence that Edward had among adventurers was not ordinary from the beginning.
Also, around the time when the Count of Saxony was away from his lands to wage the Wars of the Roses, Edward acquired an artifact from deep within the Labyrinth.
After that, taking advantage of the absence of the Count of Saxony, he changed the artifact into his own by not reporting it to the Adventurer’s Guild, but rather by laundering it through a guild he had a connection to.
And before he knew it, Edward had grown into a big shot and a strong man that the city’s adventurers could not approach.
* * *
When ‘Faceless’ entered the Adventurer’s Guild, leaving behind the people’s gossip, there was a red-haired beauty there who caught everyone’s attention.
Lady Scarlett, who is treated like a queen among adventurers.
“Haha, you are so kind.”
Scarlett smiled seductively, and the shadow of Faceless beneath her hood turned toward her. For a moment, her eyes turned in this direction.
“Oh my god.”
Scarlett giggled in amusement, as if peering through the faceless presence draped beneath the hood.
“Faceless, the legendary adventurer the city people are talking about has appeared!”
“… … .”
Faceless turned his head away as he saw Lady Scarlett shrug her shoulders exaggeratedly, as if she wasn’t even worth dealing with.
“Ah, it’s cold.”
“Haha, this is so crap.”
Just then, a voice finally came out from under Faceless’s hood. It was a thick, masculine voice.
“uh……?”
“This girl’s tail wagging is just a work of art.”
Even Lady Scarlett was taken aback by the unexpected voice. At least, it was a voice that did not match the identity of Faceless that the spies of the Red Tower had told her.
During the War of the Roses, the adventurer Faceless disappeared. In fact, it was not difficult to deduce his identity from that one piece of information.
And Dale wasn’t so foolish as to not understand that fact.
Therefore, from now on, it was not up to the ‘Black Prince’ to take on the role of the adventurer Faceless.
“Well, how about going to explore the labyrinth with this legendary adventurer?”
Because he was the strongest of the Shadow Court, Master Baro, who watched over the entire Labyrinth City from the darkness.
“Oh, unfortunately I don’t have any hobbies that go along with mud boars.”
And at Master Baro’s words, Lady Scarlett turned her head with an expression devoid of even a shred of emotion.
