Chapter 75: Someone (1)

Amunson’s sword was faster.

Simon took the blow to the shoulder and let out a cry of pain.

“Kuh!”

He staggered back, trying to regain his stance. But it looked like his right shoulder had been injured—he couldn’t lift his arm and held it limply, unable to grip his sword.

Amunson noticed immediately. He couldn’t give him more time.

An injury during a duel wasn’t shameful. Now was the time to secure victory.

“Die!”

Amunson shouted as he raised his wooden sword with both hands. And just as he was about to deliver a crushing blow—

“Haa!”

Simon, who had seemed on the verge of collapse, suddenly straightened and stabbed Amunson in the abdomen. His supposedly injured right arm moved perfectly fine, as if nothing had happened.

Amunson doubled over from the pain shooting through his stomach and muttered,

“Tri…ck…”

And fell to the ground with a thud.

“…ster.”

Simon had won. He elegantly twirled the wooden sword in the air and, as if sheathing it, brought it to his waist.

“It was a good match, Amunson.”

With his eyes closed, he savored the moment of victory.

The secret technique Yuri had taught him—the “fake injury,” a ruse to deceive the opponent and create a perfect opening for a counterattack.

A shady tactic. Not an easy one to pull off.

It required being of similar skill to the opponent, incorporating even their attacks into the act, and excellent acting skills. Above all, it required luck.

Everything had lined up, and Amunson had been completely fooled. The price of rushing in recklessly was defeat. He didn’t die, of course, but…

“Huh…”

“What just…”

The execution was so blatant that the audience didn’t know how to react.

“Wasn’t he actually injured?”

someone asked. This wasn’t just any duel.

It was a match in front of the entire continent’s eyes, and a knight carrying Briol’s name wouldn’t cheat… right?

With that naïve logic, the spectators began forming a favorable impression.

“Yeah… maybe he really was hurt but pushed through it.”

“That kid’s got guts.”

“Seeing him move like that, you’d think it didn’t hurt at all. Haha…”

Simon said nothing and simply looked at Yuri. Yuri gave him a smile in return. Simon bowed deeply, with renewed respect.

Graham, who had stood silently, declared Simon the victor.

“Briol is the winner.”

Graham, who had watched the duel closely, had noticed the trick for what it was. But even if it was just a training match, he believed combat should resemble real fighting as closely as possible.

So he didn’t invalidate the result.

Simon won.

Amunson lost.

That was all.

Before anyone could object, Gonte stood and applauded.

“A disappointing loss. But you fought well, Amunson. I accept the defeat as a knight. It was a splendid duel.”

Yuri quickly responded to the compliment.

“What does the result matter? What’s important is that two great knights clashed and learned from each other. It was just luck. If Sir Amunson had one less drink, Simon would be the one on the ground.”

“Thank you for your kind words!”

“I’m the one who’s grateful!”

Yuri and Gonte applauded each other and smiled.

Thus ended the wager between the two countries. Joachim would send knights to Briol to receive a different kind of training.

Jared, who had realized something odd was going on, murmured from the side,

“For a trick like that to work…”

Yuri elbowed him in the side and then shouted into the crowd.

“Come on, back to the banquet! A winner must celebrate! Even those damned orcs who’ve gone to the afterlife must be toasting us with boiling water in hell to bless this party!”

Yuri was happy because he would now train new allies who could oppose the Empire. Gonte was satisfied too, because he’d have the chance to reform the soft youth of Joachim.

Everyone else had just enjoyed watching a good fight.

It was a victory where everyone won.

…Except one.

Only Amunson, still lying on the ground and ignored by all, was beginning to grow cold under the night air.

***

The banquet had ended.

Everyone returned to their lodgings, and the lights of Valshard went out one by one. The night fell silent.

Maryrose, sitting in her bedroom, was humming as she brushed her hair. Suddenly, she hit a knot.

“Ow!”

She frowned deeply.

“Ugh, what a pain.”

She threw the brush onto the bed in frustration.

“What’s such a pain?”

“You!”

Hernando was leaning by the window before she even noticed.

Maryrose scoffed in irritation.

“What kind of disrespectful man sneaks into a lady’s bedroom?”

“You knew I’d come.”

“I didn’t invite you.”

“But I gave you a heads-up.”

“I should’ve dispelled it.”

Before Hernando entered, the mana flow in the room had shifted suspiciously. It was his way of announcing himself.

“The one I want to show up hasn’t appeared…”

“Wake up.”

“Who said I was talking about him?”

Hernando shot her a sharp glare.

“At first I thought it was a joke, but now I’m genuinely worried.”

“It was never a joke to begin with.”

“You’re still too young.”

“Ohh…”

Maryrose squinted at him.

“Are you serious?”

“About what?”

“I thought you stayed just out of curiosity, but it seems you’ve actually grown attached. Is that really okay?”

“I’d react the same way even if I wasn’t involved.”

“Oh, really? Then shall we call the person in question and ask them?”

“Honestly…”

Hernando brought a hand to his forehead and sighed.

“Forget it.”

“Oh! So that was a ‘yes,’ then?”

“Stop talking nonsense. I came for this.”

“This what?”

Hernando looked around the bedroom, spread mana, and cast a barrier.

Maryrose tilted her head. It didn’t just block sound; it also prevented magic energy from leaking out.

Hernando pulled a scroll from his robes and placed it on the table by the window.

“Come look.”

“Give it to me.”

“Come look.”

“Seriously?”

“Maryrose.”

Seeing his serious expression, she stood up grumbling.

“Fine, fine.”

“Activate mental defense.”

“Huh?”

“And look at it that way.”

The atmosphere changed. Maryrose glanced at the scroll on the table and instantly stepped back.

Her pupils trembled.

“What the hell is that…?”

She looked at Hernando, but he just shook his head. She invoked her mental defense technique before cautiously approaching again.

As she drew near, her breathing quickened. The edges of her vision darkened.

Within that dark fog that swirled toward her, the old scroll on the table glowed faintly.

Maryrose muttered another spell. A white light enveloped her, and only then did the strange dark energy retreat.

Standing before the table, she looked at the scroll. It was covered in dense, unfamiliar symbols.

Suddenly, she heard a whisper behind her. At first, she thought it was Hernando.

But the voice drew closer and closer… now she could feel breath on her neck.

Her body froze—she couldn’t move. The voice crept up her neck to her ear, whispering directly.

…

Maryrose’s reason began to falter. The letters on the scroll twisted.

Like worms, they squirmed and entwined, forming a living tower.

A black tower that rose into the sky, with a blood-red world in the background.

At its center, an eye opened. The whispers intensified. The sound grew so loud it thundered in her head.

She didn’t want to hear more, but she couldn’t move.

Holding her breath, Maryrose screamed,

“Aegis!”

A brilliant light burst from her body. The hellish whisper and visions vanished.

Only the eye in the tower remained, staring at her until the end before disappearing.

She wrapped the scroll in multiple layers of mana, trying to seal it.

But energy still leaked out.

“Seal, seal, seal, seal!”

She shouted in a panic as she reinforced the seal. Gasping, Maryrose looked at Hernando.

“What the hell is this?”

Her face was red, sweat running down her neck.

“Ugh, and I just bathed!”

Wiping with a handkerchief, she added,

“Good thing it was me. Anyone with a weaker mind would’ve been corrupted. Where did you get this?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? Where did you find it?”

“On Okua’s corpse.”

Hernando crossed his arms and stepped toward the table.

“It was just there.”

The scroll, sealed in layers of magic, now looked like nothing more than an old object covered in incomprehensible symbols.

“Remember how the body was shredded?”

“Yeah.”

“After we pierced it with Longinus…”

“You used Longinus!? Without removing the restraints!?”

“We linked all the mages in the allied army. They were all skilled.”

“And?”

“I wanted to understand what happened, so I checked. There was still a trace of dark energy seeping out. At that point, it was weakened from Longinus’s impact.”

“And it still survived that…?”

“As soon as I saw it, I sealed it.”

“Good thing you found it. If someone else had, a lot of people would’ve lost their minds.”

Maryrose shook the scroll.

“Is it a fragment of a black magic grimoire?”

“Probably.”

Hernando looked at her seriously.

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“Can you decipher it?”

She threw the scroll back on the table.

“I don’t want to.”

“Maryrose. This is important.”

Hernando offered it again.

“Look here.”

He pointed to a torn edge.

“Like you said, it’s just a part. There might be more.”

“Are you saying someone gave this to Okua?”

“I hope not, but it’s likely.”

“What if he just stumbled upon it in the plains?”

“He used black magic. He knew how to handle it. That’s not something you can just dismiss as coincidence.”

“Ugh…”

Maryrose sighed.

“Fine. I’m not promising anything—I’ve never seen these symbols before.”

“When will your transcendent translation formula be ready?”

“It’s not something that happens just because you want it.”

“But can you try, at least with part of it?”

“Yes, but this is different. It’s a dangerous object. Do you really think it’ll work like anything else?”

“I suppose not.”

“Give it here. I’ll try.”

Maryrose placed her hand on the scroll.

“But hey…”

“What is it?”

“If someone did give it to him… the timing was too perfect, don’t you think?”

Hernando didn’t reply. Maryrose, leaning on the table, smiled.

“If our dear prince hadn’t pulled off that ridiculous feat, and if the outsider hadn’t joined by chance—the allied army would’ve ended up as sacrifices.”

“What are you implying?”

“That the orc king, just as he obtained that object, suddenly had a flood of prey handed to him like magic.”

She opened the window. A cold night breeze swept in. Looking out at the dark landscape of Valshard, she added,

“Don’t you have a guess who might’ve handed it over?”

“Stop.”

Hernando closed the window with a stern face.

“Don’t say any more. That’s a dangerous thought.”

“Why?”

“That’s enough.”

Hernando stepped away from her.

“I just want you to try deciphering it. Nothing more. Don’t do anything else. Just that.”

“Got it.”

“Then I’m leaving.”

Just as Hernando began gathering mana to depart—

Knock, knock, knock.

They both turned at the same time. Someone was knocking on the door.

Politely, the knocking came again.

Knock, knock, knock.

Hernando looked at Maryrose. She shrugged, signaling she had no idea.

The visitor didn’t insist. Silence.

Maryrose muttered,

“Did they leave…?”

Then Hernando suddenly extended his hand.

“No, it’s the opposite.”

He opened the door with mana. And there stood the silhouette of the unexpected visitor.

Hernando sighed.

“At least knock three times properly.”

Yuri, who had been about to kick the door open, scratched his neck as he lowered his leg.

“That was kind of embarrassing…”