chapter 271
271 – Scene 271# the Silver-Haired Swordsman
*
The Fire Feyrigris family, one of the seven pillars of the Empire.
They have served the emperor for generations and held important positions in the empire. They are warriors whose blood boils like the magical power of fire.
Those with the name Payrigris find it an honor to die on the battlefield. The only thing they fear is retreating before the enemy.
There is no need to mention the bravery of Leon, the current head of Feyrigris. Furthermore, based on his excellent physical ability, he demonstrates a power comparable to that of an armored vehicle in hand-to-hand combat. However, his position as a general in the imperial army was difficult to discuss based solely on his bravery and strength.
Leon’s biggest mistake occurred during the first expedition in the original film. He, who was the general commander at the time, did not retreat and fought even after seeing the army of monsters brought by Aaron. However, unlike now, he was not enough to stop the skeletons with only 20,000 soldiers.
It was a fight no one could win. The problem is that even in such a situation, Leon did not retreat his troops and ordered them to fight until the end. His bravery, which was superior to that of anyone else, became uncontrollable brutality.
In the end, after much persuasion from Bella, the imperial army abandons the castle and retreats. Of course, by then the imperial army had already suffered severe damage… In any case, the imperial army’s first northern expedition ended in crushing defeat.
At first glance, it would have ended with Leon taking responsibility, but the situation changes when an unexpected person intervenes.
It’s Tristan Ruelberta.
He puts pressure on the nobles and creates public opinion that Leon should be put to death by holding him responsible for the failure of the expedition.
There are two reasons why Tristan did this.
One is to eliminate Leon, a pro-imperialist faction.
Another reason is to prevent Bella from taking expedition responsibility for the failure of the.
Bella, who was Tristan’s fiancée at the time, voluntarily went to prison shortly after her return. Because when she stayed behind to block Aaron’s pursuit of her, she felt guilty for the men of her regiment who died fighting alongside her.
Her resolve was so firm that even Emperor Lucy could not stop her and she had no choice but to be considered by providing a temporary prison.
In such a situation, Tristan starts to think differently. If Leon takes full responsibility, his fiancée, Bella, will feel less guilty.
He immediately moved the nobles to put pressure on the emperor.
Lucy naturally intended to hold Leon responsible for the defeat of the expedition, but he did not even consider the death penalty. Leon was a member of the pro-imperial faction of nobles. He was a talent that she couldn’t afford, so he was firmly against it.
But Tristan was a persistent man. Lucy ended up stripping Leon of his position as army captain, but he did not give up.
Tristan is a man who understands human ‘anger’ better than anyone else.
He used people to encourage the families of fallen imperial soldiers. Their deaths were all due to Leon’s incompetence.
-Murderer!
-Save my son!
From that day on, bereaved families began to come and stage a sit-in protest in front of the Peiligris family’s mansion.
He could have used people to defeat them, but Leon didn’t do that. Instead, he simply accepted their resentment and sadness. Because he thought it was his responsibility.
However, as each day passed, countless bereaved family members came and cursed Leon. Of course, as if that were not enough, among them were fake bereaved families that Tristan had secretly planted.
And just as he planned, Leon, the head of the Feyrigris family who was braver than anyone else, eventually collapsed.
A few days later, Leon committed suicide in his mansion.
Although he seemed like a warrior who only liked fighting at first glance, there was a feeling of guilt in his heart.
Tristan succeeded in eliminating him without completely revealing himself.
In some ways, it would be irrelevant to say that Tristan is Leon’s enemy.
I thought about that unpleasant past, but soon shook those thoughts away and looked ahead.
“Hmph!”
A steel mace engulfed in flames swept through a group of skeletons. The man standing in the lead and wielding a weapon truly looked like a hero from mythology.
He who once failed the first northern expedition is fighting here again.
Don’t worry. You can run wild now. Unlike then, I am on his side
“Follow General Leon!”
“oooh!”
Leon was the type of commander who fought with soldiers on the front lines, not the type of commander who only worked behind the scenes. There was a reason why the morale of the imperial army he led was so high.
“… “I understand why General Leon is still on active duty.”
As Patrick said, Leon is past middle age and is about to enter old age. It wouldn’t be surprising if he was slowly preparing to retire, but his attacks were still fierce. As expected, he is a character that would be a waste to disappear like this.
“Hmm! What are you talking about! “Now is my prime!”
“… At least my hearing seems to be at its peak.”
Was it because of Leon’s performance
The noble figure of a knight appeared on a white hill that jutted out. It was confirmed when he saw the skeletons standing up under his feet.
“It’s you!”
Leon found Aaron and took a long stride forward. There will be no skeleton that can stop his advance comparable to that of an armored vehicle.
Of course I thought so…
“Don’t approach carelessly. Humans.”
“Hmm?!”
Leon, who narrowly avoided something that suddenly popped out from behind Aaron, groaned softly when he saw the identity of the ‘thing’ that was trying to hit him.
“Umm… When did they hide this guy?!”
It is a pure white arm bone reminiscent of white bone. The problem is that the bone is as thick as four logs stacked on top of each other.
A shadow suddenly fell in front of us.
All of us, swallowed by darkness, looked upward. Then, behind Aaron’s back, a being blocking the bright moonlight revealed itself.
-!!
A giant skeleton that seemed to be well over 10 meters roared into the night sky.
A huge bone standing tall on a snowy field.
Even the imperial soldiers who faced that surreal sight almost forgot their will to fight.
The ‘Winter Giant’ boasts the greatest strength among the skeletons that Aaron can summon.
In reality, the feeling of intimidation was no joke.
“Are you the commander-in-chief?”
Aaron’s eyes were on me.
I could praise his keen eye for immediately recognizing that I was the overall commander even when Leon and Patrick were in front of him… Actually, I was feeling his gaze from before.
“I am Arisa’s knight, Aaron.”
Aaron realized that I was the most dangerous person and pulled his sword out of the air.
“He is the one who will give you an endless winter.”
“…”
“Please identify yourself. “Ominous-looking human child.”
My ‘pride’ stirred at that somewhat coercive demand. It was indeed an arrogant thought, but I have no intention of hiding it.
Since we have come this far, there is no reason to be ‘patient’.
“I am Tristan Ruelberta.”
I also drew my sword. Just as I learned from Bella.
And I declared to him with ‘pride’.
“I came to end this winter.”
*
“Ah… Revenge is still futile.”
Helga stood in her eyes, devastated.
“Plural? Did something happen to them?”
“There are a lot. “You didn’t just grab my ankles, you blocked my way and showed hostility, so wouldn’t it make sense to get back at me?”
“… “Isn’t it just a matter of anger?”
“If you say revenge, it seems more appropriate.”
Helga shook off her fist, which dripped with blood. At her feet, the Tigers were lying dead, unable to fight.
As we fought, we ended up back near the castle. The Hoin people continued to advance towards the castle, probably trying to attack it, and the two men stopped them.
Compared to skeletons and other demons, the tigers were dangerous opponents. A hunting sense similar to that of a carnivore and a strength strong enough to tear a human alive. They were definitely the top predators in the Magic Forest.
It was just not enough to stop the angry Helga.
The Hoin people were literally destroyed in the face of merciless violence. I definitely blocked the attack, but my arm was broken and my hard fangs were shattered with a single elbow strike.
The playful tone and behavior he usually displayed was nowhere to be found. There was just a weapon to beat them alive.
As Helga said, it was a one-sided fight… No, it was one-sided violence. Although Blanchet helped them, it was as if Helga had defeated them all by herself.
“… That’s it. Let’s quickly chase after the Count.”
“Yes? “Didn’t the Count tell you to guard this place?”
“Look around. There are no enemies coming here anymore.”
“Come to think of it… ?”
Just as Helga said, the group of skeletons that were constantly approaching stopped abruptly.
That also meant that Tristan, who went first, encountered the person who summoned the skeleton.
“Let’s go quickly. I’m sure my horse was nearby…”
“Are you not finishing it?”
“Ah? Ah… That’s Okay. Even the Tigers wouldn’t be able to move for a few days. “What?”
Helga looked down at the fallen and groaning beasts around her. The reason they ended up dying was partly because of their strong vitality, but another reason was probably because Helga attacked while avoiding a vital point.
“Is that so? You seem to have become quite generous as well.”
“… It just wasn’t worth killing. More than anything… “If the Count was there, he would probably have said that.”
Regardless of being the worst villain in the empire, Tristan, whom Blanchet had seen, did not commit unnecessary killings. It may have been because it was so worthless that it really wasn’t worth killing. However… She didn’t think so.
The Ruelberta family is a family of sin that carried out inhumane experiments and heinous killings in the dark. The reason Tristan, the current head of the family, is struggling like this alone… Maybe that’s his way of atonement
And his confidant, Helga, must have been influenced as well, so even though it seemed like she was recklessly using violence, she was controlling her strength as much as possible.
“Huh? Why are you looking at me with such vague eyes?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“Okay, quickly find out what I’m talking about. I don’t know where it jumped… Hmm?”
Helga’s eyes narrowed as she looked around her.
“Wait a minute, that… What is it?”
In the distance, a skeleton bigger than a tree was running wild. It didn’t take long to realize that that direction was where Tristan had disappeared.
“… “I have to go quickly.”
“Yes. Let’s hurry and find words.”
“Ah! Hey, I just happened to be here…”
Dagdam-!
A horse passed by them quickly without any chance of catching it. The horse, which had increased its speed through the magic tool, ran straight to where the huge skeleton was.
And in a split second, the two people made eye contact with the person on the horse.
After the words passed, the two people realized the person’s identity and shouted at the same time.
“Now, wait a minute?!”
*
“Ohh…”
I and Aaron were engaging in an intense exchange of swords. Wherever the swords touched, sparks flew out in the air.
I narrowly avoided the attack by his movements, which he imitated as ‘jealousy.’Each time, Aaron’s eyes widened as if he was quite surprised.
“The more I look at it, the more surprising it is…” ” .”
“Don’t be annoying, just do it!”
As lightning flashed from Patrick’s suddenly leaping fist, Aaron quickly parried his blow with the great sword he was holding.
“An obvious attack…”
“Under! Caught!”
“!”
Pajik-!
When the magic power sent by Patrick reached the great sword, Aaron lost sight of the sword without realizing it.
He is now completely defenseless.
Not wanting to miss the gap he had barely made, Patrick swung his magic-infused fist at Aaron’s face.
“?! Not yet! Patrick.”
“What?!”
The shadow splitting the air hit Patrick directly in the chest. He was flung onto the snowy field and immediately fell down while trying to stand up again.
“Human magic truly has a power that is unbelievable.”
As Aaron muttered that, a sharp, curved blade appeared on his back. But it is not just a blade.
“I was in a hurry, so I borrowed a rib.”
What Aaron summoned was the ribs of a giant skeleton. It sparkled and reflected in the moonlight, and had a cool glow like his skin.
“Wow… Cough… What a reward…”
Patrick spit out his blood, as if he had injured his internal organs from the previous blow. Red puddles gradually spread over the white snow field. Now he can’t fight.
Haha! It’s hot!”
A loud shout was heard that was not appropriate for this situation.
Over there, Leon, who had thrown his jacket, was dealing with a giant skeleton with his soldiers. Steam was coming out of his body
While the Ulfbert family achieved light-like speed and corresponding destructive power through lightning magic, the Feirigris family’s specialty is only the power to explode.
The hot magical power explodes continuously as if there is an engine inside the body, putting destructive power in every movement.
The appearance is similar to that of a berserker.
There are side effects when overheating, but the cold in the north was quickly cooling him down.
If he holds out here just a little longer, he might be able to defeat that skeleton. If Leon joins, he may be able to deal with Aaron.
But will I be able to survive on my own until then?
“… Excellent.”
“?!”
I quickly threw away the sword that Aaron Swung.
“I’ve dealt with many people who practice swordsmanship, but… “I’ve never seen a person like you.”
“…”
His hands, which had been numb before, began to tingle. I dealt with the heavy greatsword as much as possible, but was unable to completely remove the shock.
“Haha…”
I calmly took a deep breath.
Not only did he use his ‘jealousy’ to its full potential, he even used Bella’s sword skills, but it was not enough to defeat Aaron. Even Patrick joined in, but failed to even deliver the final blow.
‘Out of my mind… It’s strong.’
It was mentioned in the story that he was the best swordsman on the Mine side. Aaron’s swordsmanship was amazing even for a beginner. It’s not enough to swing such a large, blunt greatsword with one hand, and even perform an eerie stab.
But this is not yet our best effort.
“Did you say Tristan? You have very flexible swordsmanship. Even the swordsmanship he saw for the first time wasn’t enough, so he tried to learn my own swordsmanship every time we clashed swords. From the looks of it, he seems like a famous swordsman. I’ll make sure to remember him.”
“…”
When I heard that line, there was a face that made me miss it again. The only swordsman on the human side who can fight with Aaron, and the beautiful swordsman whose name he remembers for the first time.
Oh, it wouldn’t be the first time I cut in line unintentionally… Anyway, it’s all useless now.
Nothing will change just because she comes.
She was defeated by Aaron once. Even if she fights again, the outcome won’t change.
I glared at Aaron and recalled what I had seen in the original.
The man who mercilessly killed fleeing humans. The soldiers who fought until they fainted and had to die to return Bella safely.
And Bella’s monologue as she suffered from guilt in a dark prison.
-I am… If only I were stronger… !
I remember that helpless scream.
“… Phew.”
That’s why I have no choice but to pick up the sword again. As I showed myself ready to fight again, Aaron muttered.
“I couldn’t win with two people, so do you think I have a chance of winning alone?”
“… “I don’t know.”
I still have a few cards left that I can use.
The magic of the moon, the ‘anger’ I left behind just in case, and a pistol for self-defense.
With these, you just need to buy as much time as possible until Leon comes.
Aaron pulled a new sword out of the air. This time, not a great sword, but a sharp scimitar-like sword.
“If you really don’t know, the only way is to try it yourself. And you will realize it too.”
“…”
“No matter what we do, humans can’t defeat demons… !”
“!”
Aaron closes the distance in an instant.
I quickly extended my sword towards him.
His curved sword cut through the wind and flew towards my neck.
‘Put it away quickly… ?!’
With that in mind, I cut down with my sword, but for some reason I didn’t feel anything. It felt like I was cutting into the air. Did I miss the mark?
But even in such a crisis, I was strangely aware of the sound of horse hooves coming from somewhere.
Chakang-!
At that moment, Aaron’s sword flew away with sparks flying.
Heeing-
“Ugh?!”
Aaron gave an expression of disbelief.
A horse suddenly appeared before my eyes.
Immediately after that, flashes of light flashed in succession.
Kang-!
Chakang-!
The light penetrated Aaron with fierce force and drove him away in just two twinkles.
Aaron quickly widened the distance due to the enemy’s sudden surprise attack.
Of course, it was a bewildering situation for me as well.
“Be patient… “Are you being so upset here?”
She got off her horse and was wiping the snow off her knees.
“You…”
“Why are you making that face?”
It was a magical sight.
A swordsman with silver hair shining under the moonlight was smiling down at me. I had no intention of hiding the playful smile on his face.
“I missed you.”
After saying that, Bella Isaac He adjusted her sword.