The Blood Knight’s Villains

My Villains Chapter 172

42. Bond (4)

After the conversation in the hall, Dionea invited me to her bedroom. Sitting across from the small tea table, she had a worried expression on her face.

“Tell me about your lord.”

“…You mean Prince Ulkar?”

“yes. Are you trustworthy?”

I put on a puzzled expression at the direct question.

“Actually, it’s only been about a month since I’ve served the prince.”

“You have been ordained by him. You must be better than me, who has never seen the Third Prince.”

“O 99 TH .

My butt hurts.

You can’t just say, ‘I got it because I was swept away by the atmosphere’. I can’t even die for such a pathetic sound.

“…First of all, the prince is a brave person.”

So I decided to share my impressions of Ulkar.

“He didn’t shy away from his noble status. Especially when he laughed coolly in front of ‘Creeping Dragon’, to be honest, I thought he was a bit crazy.”

Dionea, who had hardened her face, burst out laughing.

“okay.”

“And… he cared for his subordinates very much. While the knights and soldiers were allowed to stay in nice lodgings, the prince himself lived in a tent.”

“A tent?”

“yes. There is a large plaza in South Harbor, and he pitched a tent and lived there.”

Dionea made an expression that she couldn’t understand, so she quickly elaborated.

“If you stay in a comfortable place, you don’t want to leave? That was the reason.”

” ah.”

The official title given to Ulkar by the King is ‘Patrolman’.

It is not a grandiose position such as a tour officer (巡防官) who is in charge of security within the kingdom’s territory or a border patrol leader who blocks external enemies, but a patrolman who rides a horse and roams the kingdom.

Those drawn by the prince’s prestige form a kind of warlord, but officially Ulkar was merely a ranger, whatever its size.

Dionea was also aware of this fact. She nodded and opened her mouth.

“It is harsh. To take on such an arduous and insignificant task with the body of a prince.”

“It was hard work, but it didn’t seem trivial.”

“is that so?”

“The Prince has honored the mission. He fights not for land or gold or silver, but to protect the weak.”

“Ah…

” Sir Ariad’s earlier words must have meant that. The prince I saw wasn’t someone who helped others hoping for a huge price. So”

I, who was acting as the prince’s lawyer, stopped talking when I saw Dionea’s face. She had a soft smile on her face.

“…why do you do that?”

“You respect your lord.”

“yes’?”

“Three princes will be fine. Having a knight as loyal as you.”

It seemed like he was being sarcastic at the moment, but Dionea seemed genuinely envious of Ulkar.

…Somehow strange.

Looking back on Kim Seung-soo’s life, that is, his life in Korea, the expression of loyalty was usually not a good meaning.

Even those who were loyal to the country were pointed at as hogu. It was considered unreasonable when a company or boss demanded loyalty.

But this side of the world had a completely different view of loyalty. It was very natural to give allegiance to a king, lord, or other noble person.

Well, it seems like it’s been quite a while since I felt this uncomfortable.

But I’m quite used to this world, so I didn’t say things like ‘I’m a knight of Ulkar, but I’m not loyal to him’. I just silently scratched my eyebrows.

Even though she smiled for a while, Dionea still looked uneasy.

“Actually, I don’t have a good relationship with the Bennet family, the Anig family, or the 3 princes. Besides, the situation I’m in right now is still full of sudden work, and I have to make such an important decision… I

listened to her words and comforted her, but on the other hand, I was reflecting on the sense of incongruity I had just felt.

Kim Seung-soo, who lived in Korea for 30 years, swallowed Phoenix, who lived in Ireland for 20 years. Can I, who has been perfected like that, completely melt into this world?

It wasn’t a long worry. It’s thanks to Dionea’s embrace.

As he gripped the unfamiliar sword, white hands with scars were groping around his neck and chest.

Skin to skin contacted, excited breath tickled my ears, short death words blocked my lips, and Dionea’s powerful fingertips dug into the scapula.

It was after the discomfort and worries had disappeared to the other side.

…hmm?” As I was leaving the bedroom after putting Dionea to sleep, I heard a ‘ssuck’ sound from somewhere. A very subtle sound, like the rustling of clothes.

Currently, my agility on my character sheet is 27.

If you add up the points added with ‘Seal of the Dragon Slayer’ and ‘Death King’s Scale Belt’, it’s a whopping 31. It’s a level that far exceeds that of the criminal.

Because of this, my senses have also developed to the extent that they are almost supernatural. The movement of about 78 meters in radius can be felt not with the eyes or ears, but with the skin.

I used my senses to the fullest and looked around quietly, but I couldn’t feel anything.

…Did I hear that wrong?

I came downstairs, scratching my head, alone. The next place I headed was the room where the knights of Ulkar stayed.

“Sir Phoenix.”

Sir Langboldt, who was sitting side by side with Sir Ariad at the table, waved a quill and said hello.

“You came just fine. It was about to come to an end.”

He had changed his clothes before he knew it, and he was wearing only a thin shirt. It’s very awkward to see his hands smeared with ink while revealing his muscularity.

“What are you doing?”

“As you can see, I am writing a letter.”

“Are you talking to the prince?”

“I already wrote that. What I am writing now is a letter to Lady Clarissa. Oh, can you tell me again sir?”

The old knight, Sir Ariad, who received Sir Langbolt’s gaze, smiled bitterly.

“I ask you to take action before it is too late, and I will cut it short. You can write.”

“good. I hope it’s time-”

Looking at the parchment Sir Langbolt was holding, the elegant writing was very impressive.

“…You write very well, don’t you?”

“of course. Aren’t those the basic qualities of an aristocrat?”

Sir Ariad shook his head at what he said as a joke.

“Sir Langboldt’s penmanship is more than basic literacy. It is elegant and has a quaint corner, so nobles who value tradition especially like it.”

“So you’re using it as a ghostwriting?”

“It’s a ghostwriting.”

When Sir Ariad made a troubled expression, Sir Langboldt chuckled and nodded.

“that’s right. It’s a pretty familiar situation now. Even in the middle of training, they often call me to write.”

“Isn’t that enough, Sir Langboldt?”

“Still, there’s nothing I can do about it.” He rolled up the parchment, took out a seal, and stamped the red ink.

“Sir Ariad has bad penmanship, and Ankyr insists that holding a quill makes his stomach ache. Liam, that guy’s handwriting is so hard… It was nice to be able to put off work when Sir Filter was around.”

Sir Hilter? It’s the first name I’ve heard.

Just as I was about to ask him a question, Sir Ariad, who had received the letter, approached the fireplace. He took a thin piece of wood from his bosom, threw it into the fire, and murmured softly:

“Ex ignis ut aqua.”

What kind of spell it was, the sparks that exploded drew a round circle. Inside the circle was pitch black darkness.

Lord Ariad put the letter into the dark space. Then, with a familiar motion, he pulled the cover and closed the fireplace.

pop!

The sound of something exploding echoed softly, and Sir Ariad opened the fireplace cover and checked inside. The fire that had been burning just before was nowhere to be found, only pitch-black ash splattered in all directions.

“The maids must be having a hard time.”

When Sir Langbolt clicked his tongue, I turned to Sir Ariad with a look of surprise.

“Lord Ariad, were you a wizard?”

“Not quite like that. It’s just imitating a few spells.”

“Then what order was it just now?”

“I opened the subspace of the Chief Mage of Multingham for a while.”

“A subspace?”

It was knowledge that neither Kim Seung-soo nor Phoenix had in their memories.

When I put on a puzzled expression, Sir Ariad sat back at the table and explained.

“Among the very high-level wizards, there are those who deal with things called subspaces. In other words, it is also called the ‘pocket dimension’.”

pocket size? I remember hearing that.

There was a field that rarely appeared while playing Expedition. Was it called

‘Pocketplane of Undergod’?

“I cast a simple spell that allowed someone else to open that subspace. Of course, you need a medium made by the owner, and you can only put things in, but you can’t take them out, but it’s a pretty useful spell.”

“Aha…

I nodded, and Lord Langboldt invited me to sit down and asked questions about the recent events.

“I’ve heard about this and that, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to hear it directly from you.”

As I moderately edited and told about my current situation, the two articles listened with interest.

Well, to say the least, cutting up thieves and monsters must be fun for most of your knights.

After my story, I heard the news of Ulkar.

About a month had passed since Prince Ulkar’s forces had been stationed in South Harbor.

The king’s decree came down.

-Patrolman Ulkar Lionelson of Zeore must immediately leave South Harbor and continue his mission.

As it was a foreseeable situation, the army was ready to leave. Two days after the edict was issued, Prince Ulkar left South Harbor, leaving behind the petals and tears of the people.

Although the journey as a ranger almost went on aimlessly, Prince Ulkar received an unexpected letter. Marquis Landry, the Guardian of the West, had been asking for help.

Prince Ulkar immediately led his army to the plateau. It was the same place where he fought his first battle eight years ago at the age of seventeen.

It was the two Elector Counts of Mittergerland who invaded the plateau.

The Duke of Abillambus Strom, the Count of Topal and a powerful candidate for the next Emperor, attracted the Viceroy of Alzenberg, the Viceroy of Burcard Alzenberg, to raise an army of over 6,000.

Although stationed in South Harbor and growing in size, Prince Ulkar’s army was only five hundred.

On top of that, the troops led by Margrave Landry were only about 2,000 strong enough to squeeze the territory.

They were overwhelmingly inferior both in number and quality, so Prince Ulkar and Margrave Landry were immediately on the defensive.

In the meantime, Prince Ulkar led only his infantry and took a detour over the rocky area, and luckily the timing was right and he won the round.

Afterwards, the forces of the two electoral princes lost momentum and shrank for a while, and the two armies continued the state of confrontation.

In the meantime, something unexpected happened. The two Elector Counts had proposed a truce.

Prince Ulkar hesitated because there was something unclear, but he agreed to a truce by accepting Marquis Landry’s opinion.

Shortly after the imperial army withdrew, Prince Ulkar heard a strange rumor.

“…The King of Death?”

At my murmur, Sir Ariad nodded heavily.

“That’s his nickname.”

His nickname is ‘King of Death’, so it’s the second grader disease itself…

“What are you doing with that?”

“Very little is known about it. At least to be a powerful necromancer?”

“A necromancer?”

“yes. They say that monsters that appear only in legends, such as headless knights and ghosts, are treated like limbs.”

Dullahan and Ghouls are undead with a fairly high level.

Sir Langboldt, who was shaping his beard, continued his explanation.

“They say that the reason why the two Elector Counts Abillambus and Burcard stepped down was because of that King of Death. We couldn’t continue the war because we led the army of the dead and raided the territory every night.”

“…Lion’s army?” “okay. Unlike other necromancers, they say he commands an uncountable number of dead.”

He subtly lowered his voice.

“It’s not known exactly, but it’s said that the army is so huge that it covers five hills. I heard that it is called the ‘death wave’ because it looks like a black wave when viewed at night.”

Doulahans and ghouls and uncountable number of zombies?

Uh, that’s ominous…

“…don’t you know what he looks like?”

“I don’t know. Hiding among the countless dead and being escorted by ghosts, who would have seen it?”

Oh, is that so….

I let out a sigh with a profound feeling of regret or relief, but Sir Ariad hesitated for a moment before adding.

“There are eyewitnesses.”

“exactly? I didn’t hear.”

“The eyewitness said he couldn’t hear the proper testimony because he went crazy.” Sir Langboldt raised an eyebrow in interest.

“Crazy?”

“yes. He was a gravekeeper guarding the graves of a noble family, and he saved his life by hiding in the coffin.”

“Oops.”

“Anyway, he said he saw Arnesso wearing a crown.”

“Arnesso? You mean that Ar Nesso of the Bible?”

“yes.”

Oh I remember hearing this.

I once visited a church in Leadburn and saw a tapestry embroidered with pictures.

There, there was a man who served as the teacher of the three prophets and then betrayed them. Ellen said that the man’s name was ‘Arnesso’.

Sir Langboldt leaned against the backrest with a deflated expression.

“That was bullshit. You saw someone who was burned to death six hundred years ago.”

“Of course, this is nonsense, but there is something that can be inferred. The King of Death will resemble Arnesso. Strictly speaking, it must resemble Arnesso in his imagination…

Suddenly, the picture on the tapestry came to mind.

An old man with gray hair and no beard.

Arnesso wearing the crown seen by the gravekeeper.

A white-haired old man wearing a crown in my memory. The ominous foreboding fits snugly.

“X arm.”

“What did you say?”

“…well no.” When Sir Langboldt made a puzzled expression, I quickly raised another question.

“So what is it that the Lords have come to Longville for?”

“Oh, that’s what you mean.”

Sir Langboldt cleared his throat and shrugged.

“I’m on my way to ask my father for help.”

“…Father”

I recalled the name I had overheard in the hall earlier.

“Are you talking about Count Lytton Earlshore? Are you the lord of the Southern Shore?”

“Yeah, that’s right. We need his fleet.”

“Why is the fleet…

Sir Langboldt sighed heavily.

“The waves of death were really about to cross the sea.”

“…yes?”

“The King of Death, who swept across the empire, is crossing ‘Knives Bay’ and crossing over to the Abiden region. Bypassing the troops stationed on the plateau.”

“No undead,”

Sir Ariad added as I opened my mouth in bewilderment.

“The fish people are helping them.”

“…fish-man?”

“It is a very tough relationship. Those who swept through South Harbor appeared in the Bay of Blades.”

“I beg your pardon?”

When I opened my mouth wide, Sir Langbolt clicked his tongue and continued.

“Thanks to that, not only Abiden but also the coastal waters were a mess. Besides, the young serpent of Ireland is gathering a fleet.”

…A young snake from Ireland.

Could this be my cousin brother?

“That’s why I’m trying to borrow a fleet from my father. The Steel Fleet of the Southern Shore will be able to put an end to the chaos of Blade Bay.”

“The situation is not very optimistic.”

Sir Ariad had a heavy expression on his face.

“I heard that the East, too, is in chaos because of the assassination of Marquis Ibaile, the protector of the East, and the sudden succession. Count Lytton will probably feel the burden of moving the Steel Fleet.”

“…you’ll know that when you go.”

I was swearing in my heart as I listened to the story of the two knights.

My sub-character ‘Normal manners’ Popaluk Katalas, who almost killed Ellen.

The missing boss monster in Chapter 2, ‘Priestess of the Deep Sea’.

The two of them held hands.

…X feet.