Warhammer Fanfic: Starting with a Core Cabin

"Evil demon!!!"

Duanmu Huai and the others were all startled when they suddenly heard this unexpected shout. However, they quickly saw a young man in worn-out armor standing in their path, gripping a longsword.

"Evil demon! Accept my challenge!"

Staring at Duanmu Huai, the young knight raised his sword high and roared angrily.

"...…"

Duanmu Huai looked to his left, then to his right.

"Is he talking to me?"

"Who else would it be?"

Hearing Duanmu Huai speak, the elf sitting on the carriage giggled softly.

"With the way you're dressed, no one would believe you're not a demon."

"What nonsense, this is the official standard equipment of an Inquisitor!"

"I've never heard of any Inquisitor wearing that kind of equipment."

While Duanmu Huai and the elven scout were chatting, the young knight had already charged forward with a roar. He raised his longsword high and swung it down at Duanmu Huai!

"Have at you———!!!"

However, just as the young knight's sword came down, Duanmu Huai casually caught it with one hand.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Staring at the young knight in front of him, Duanmu Huai was utterly confused. This guy's only level 3. Who gave him the courage to attack me? If it weren't for the yellow color above his head indicating neutrality, Duanmu Huai would've already turned this idiot into meat paste—he didn't want to lose reputation points in this region.

"Let go of my sword, vile demon!!"

The young knight struggled with all his might to pull his longsword free, but it was useless. Duanmu Huai's grip was like a vice, completely unmovable. Yet this guy was clearly fearless, like a newborn calf that didn't know to fear the tiger. He glared up at Duanmu Huai and began cursing him aloud.

"Alright, just get lost already."

Duanmu Huai couldn't be bothered to deal with him. He grabbed the sword and flung the young knight—man and weapon both—off to the side, then continued walking forward. He had originally wondered if this random guy who popped up might trigger some kind of quest, but the system didn't react at all...

"Stop!!"

Yet the young knight, after being thrown aside, rolled over and got back up again.

"I will never allow a demon like you to ravage the world! I will defeat you and rescue the victims you've captured! Take this!!"

Shouting at the top of his lungs, the young knight raised his longsword and charged at Duanmu Huai once more.

"I know very well that tall demons like you are all clumsy! All I need is a sliding tackle and—"

Thunk.

Right at that moment, Duanmu Huai punched the young knight square in the face, sending the would-be slider flying through the air. He landed face-down in a patch of grass not far off and didn't move again.

"Sir Black Knight, did you kill him?"

Alisa was shocked, but Duanmu Huai shook his head.

"No, just knocked him out. Let's go. Who knows where this idiot even came from."

Saying this, Duanmu Huai turned and continued on his way.

The elven scout, however, took up the conversation with great interest.

"Ah, I'm guessing he's a Questing Knight."

"Questing Knight??"

Hearing this, Alisa looked confused, and the scout nodded.

"Yeah, simply put, they're knights who've given up everything to search for the Lady of the Lake. They wander the land, challenging demons and monsters to prove their faith—hoping the Lady will appear before them and grant them the honor of becoming a Grail Knight…"

"So... has anyone actually succeeded?"

"Not that I've heard of. Most Questing Knights just die out there. And well, if they're all like that guy, it's no wonder they don't survive long."

As she spoke, the elven scout grinned and kept her eyes on Duanmu Huai.

"Looks like that brave Questing Knight picked you as his debut opponent."

"If I were really a demon, I'd have flayed him alive and shoved red-hot tongs into his stomach."

Duanmu Huai snorted coldly. He had read players' posts on the forums about some of the ridiculous things that went on in this country, but even so, he hadn't expected the reality to be even more absurd.

Level 3 and daring to go on adventures? He was just asking to become an orc's next meal.

To Duanmu Huai, this was nothing more than a minor hiccup on the road. However, when they set up camp to rest and the elven scout reported again that the same young knight was sneakily peeking at them from the bushes, Duanmu Huai was genuinely speechless.

"What should we do? Drive him off?"

"With a chuuni like this, even if you drive him away, it won't change anything."

Duanmu Huai shook his head and stood up.

"Actually, we need a guide anyway. Since this idiot is so eager to follow us, might as well make him earn his keep. Go grab him for me. I want to see just how much knightly spirit he's got."

"Understood."

The elven scout acted quickly. Moments later, the dazed young knight was tossed in front of Duanmu Huai, all tied up tight. Duanmu Huai picked up a cup of water and splashed it directly on his face. In the next instant, the young knight's eyes flew open, and the moment he saw Duanmu Huai standing there in full power armor, his face turned deathly pale.

"Vile demon! You… you sneak-attacked me! Return my sword—I demand an honorable duel!"

Watching this scene, the elven scout chuckled softly, while Alisa and Christine were dumbfounded. The old knight, Cardo, seemed to remember something and sighed sentimentally.

"Ah… youth. Back when I was a boy, I too once—cough cough..."

Halfway through his sentence, Cardo's face turned red, and he quickly sealed away his own black history.

As for Olgis—she had zero interest in this clown show and was still calmly reading by the campfire.

"What a surprise."

Duanmu Huai scoffed at the young knight's words.

"Since I'm such a vile demon, why would I agree to a fair duel with you? If I fought you fairly, how would I still be a vile demon? Are you brain-damaged or something?"

"Ugh... ah..."

Faced with Duanmu Huai's words, the young knight was momentarily speechless. But soon, he found his voice again.

"As expected of a vile demon! I will never submit! You may kill me, but you will never make me yield in spirit! I will never bow to someone as despicable and evil as you!"

"Will you just shut up already..."

At this point, Duanmu Huai's face darkened with irritation.

"Listen carefully—I'm not some demon. We're just outsiders who came to Bretonnia and want to go to Carcassonne. If you guide us there, we'll let you go. How about it?"

"Why are you going to Carcassonne?"

The young knight looked confused at first. But then, his eyes widened as if some grand revelation had struck him.

"I see! You intend to destroy Bretonnia! You want to wipe out the glorious faith in the Lady and turn this land into your wicked dominion! I will never let you succeed! No! I will never take you to Carcassonne! Go ahead and kill me if you must, but I will never bow to evil!"

Goddamn... chuuni cases are such a pain in the ass...

Staring at the young knight, who now wore an expression like he was ready to nobly sacrifice himself, Duanmu Huai was completely speechless. If he were some edgy high school girl, maybe this level of chuunibyou could still be considered a bit cute, but you're a grown-ass man pulling this crap? You look old enough to be past the chuuni phase, how are you still this brainless?

"Listen up, kid."

At that, Duanmu Huai removed his helmet and glared at him viciously.

"If you think dying at my hands is going to be easy, you're dead wrong. I'll hammer nails through your fingers one by one, then slit open your belly and drag your guts out to wrap around your neck. Then I'll hang you from a tree and let you die slowly. Got that?"

"..."

Hearing this gruesome threat, the young knight trembled violently. And when the flickering campfire finally lit up Duanmu Huai's face, the knight's eyes bulged wide—and he let out a shrill scream.

"Mommy!!"

The next moment, his eyes rolled back, his legs went stiff, and he passed out cold.

(End of Chapter)